An Unlikely Friendship
by MissDoctorDonna
Summary: What if Donna Noble, the best temp in Chiswick, was sent to Torchwood 1 for a two week assignment and met a lonely, young Welshman called Ianto Jones?  Very AU.
1. Cariad

**Chapter 1 - Cariad**

Mid 2004

"Donna Noble?"

Donna looked up to see a young man, gazing at her calmly. She'd been sent to Canary Wharf by the temp agency for two week's work at a place called Torchwood. The woman at the agency had told her that it was the first time they'd been contacted by them, so they were sending their best in the hopes of continued business. Donna typed 100 words a minute and was generally considered to be the best temp at the agency.

Nodding at the, quite frankly, gorgeous young man, Donna stood and extended her hand. Taking her hand and giving it a brief squeeze before releasing it, he gestured her through the door.

"If you'll just follow me through here, we'll get the paperwork sorted and then get you settled into the job."

She followed him, wondering what his name was and what the paperwork was that she needed to complete.

Looking over his shoulder, as though he can sense her thoughts, he told her, "I'm Ianto Jones, by the way."

The paperwork turned out to be a confidentiality agreement that intimated dire consequences should she leak any information to the outside world. Donna signed it without compunction, knowing that she'd never divulge her employer's information. Discretion was one of the qualities that made her such an excellent temp. Once that formality was over, Ianto took her to the secretarial pool and showed her where the restrooms, kitchenette, photocopier and filing cabinets were situated. Finally, he led her to a spare desk and gave her a box of dictation tapes to transcribe. Donna found herself watching as he walked away, muttering, "Nice bum."

"Yeah, he's been voted as the hottest totty in the office."

Jumping, Donna spun on her chair to face the owner of the unexpected voice. She smirked, "Well, I can certainly see why. I've always loved the Welsh accent. Besides, the control they must have over their tongues to speak Welsh has to come in useful in other areas of life."

The young, attactive girl who'd spoken laughed lightly, "I'd never thought of it that way, but I suppose so. My name's Lisa Hallett. You're the temp covering for Helen, are you?"

Shrugging, Donna turned back to her dictaphone, saying, "I don't know. The agency sends me and I go. I don't get much more information than that usually."

Lisa nodded, then turned back to her own desk. "Oh, and Ianto and I are sort of seeing each other."

_Right, that's me warned off then, _thought Donna as she started her first tape.

The next couple of days were uneventful, spent in the usual mindless drudgery of office life. Donna had managed to find reasons to have quick chats with Ianto, finding him to be shy but quite funny in a dry way. Sophie, another one of the office staff, invited Donna to the Friday after work drinks. Standing outside The Slug & Lettuce, with her gin and tonic in hand, Donna found herself talking to Ianto again. She'd noticed that he tended to keep to himself at work, but he seemed as tightly wound after hours as well. He lit up when Lisa was near him though, which Donna thought was sweet. _Aw, young love._

Come Monday morning, Donna was back at Torchwood for her second and final week there. She looked up and caught Ianto's eye, giving him a wink and a wolfish grin, before turning back to her work. It had become a bit of a tradition and never failed to make the young Welshman blush.

It was lunchtime on Wednesday when Donna realised that she hadn't seen Ianto yet. Going over to Lisa, she asked whether he'd taken the day off.

"He's got some sort of bug," Lisa shrugged, seemingly unconcerned, "He rang me last night to tell me to stay away, in case I caught it. Plus, he knows I'm no good around sick people."

"But.. you're his girlfriend. Aren't you supposed to look after him? Does he have family or a flatmate?"

"No family in London that I know of, and he lives by himself. Don't worry, Donna. Ianto can take care of himself." Lisa turned back to her work, effectively dismissing Donna.

"Yeah, but he shouldn't have to.." muttered Donna, as she went back to her desk.

Ianto called in sick on Thursday and Friday, which worried Donna into asking Lisa again on Friday if she thought he was alright.

"Honestly, Donna. Why are you so worried about him? He's fine! It's just a virus, he'd have called me if he needed help." Lisa glared at Donna, as though defying her to find fault.

Donna seriously doubted that the poor boy would call his girlfriend. Lisa didn't seem to be the nurturing sort. She decided to take matters into her own hands, looking up Ianto's address in his file. She begged off Friday night drinks, despite Sophie's invitation, stating that she had a family commitment. Instead, she went home, got changed, made a stop at a local supermarket and found herself knocking on Ianto's door just after 7pm. It took repeated knocking over 10 minutes, before Ianto opened the door. He did not look good, she noted with dismay. His normally flawless appearance had been replaced by severe bed head, rumpled and stained t-shirt and boxers, stubble and red-rimmed eyes, with not so much bags under them but a whole set of luggage.

"Hi there, Ianto. I noticed you weren't at work the last couple of days and thought you might need a food parcel." Donna lifted her grocery bag, feeling a bit self-conscious as she stood on the doorstep of a relative stranger, forcing her attentions on him.

"Donna?" Ianto gazed at her, through bleary eyes, clinging to the door as though it was the only thing keeping him upright. Donna cleared her throat, trying to suggest he should either let her in or tell her to go away. He started at the sound, before standing back to let her in, closing the door and leaning against it. Donna set the bags she was carrying down, then went back to hook her arm around him and lead him to the couch. The flat was a tiny bedsit and smelled horrible. It looked as though it could generally be found in spotless order, but ill health had a smell of it's own.

"Right then, sweetheart, let's get you sorted out."

Donna opened as many windows as she could, then collected her groceries and went into the kitchenette, where she hastily made a pot of chicken broth and left it simmering. She looked around the room, her eyes lighting on a pile of fresh, folded laundry. Taking a clean towel and a pair of boxer shorts, she went into the tiny bathroom and ran a bath, cleaning the toilet and basin whilst she waited for it to fill. He'd obviously been violently ill and too weak to clean up after himself. Then she went back to the kitchenette, pouring a glass of the bottled water she'd brought, and took it in to where Ianto slumped on the couch/bed.

"Come on, drink some of this. You're dehydrated." Pausing to help him drink, she stopped him from gulping at the water his body so desperately craved. Putting the empty glass aside, she continued, "Up you get now, a bath will make you feel more human."

She practically had to carry him into the bathroom, stripping him and helping him into the tub. Donna was vaguely embarrassed, but could see that Ianto was in no condition to be doing anything himself. Averting her eyes from the more private parts of his anatomy, she dunked him under the water, and washed his hair for him. Putting a towel behind his head, she left him to soak as she found his shaving kit. "Now, just relax, mate. My Gramps broke his wrist once and I had to help him shave for weeks. I won't cut you."

Ianto watched her with dull eyes, as she attended to his ablutions. After shaving him, she washed all the bits of him she felt comfortable with and then left him with instructions to wash what was left. Judging by his reactions, Donna was pretty sure that he thought he was hallucinating and wondered uncomfortably how sick he'd been before she got there. His temperature was a little too warm now, but not high enough to warrant concern.

Going out to the kitchenette, she checked on her broth, before stripping the bed and remaking it with clean sheets from the pile. She had a general tidy, before going back into the bathroom to collect her charge. He was asleep, snoring lightly. Pulling the plug to let the water drain, Donna shook him awake and held out a towel. In the end, she had to help him stand and get out of the tub. She dried him off briskly, helping him into his clean boxers.

"Right. Back into bed for you, Sunshine."

Ianto hadn't said a word all this time, barely even registering her presence. He sighed, almost happily, when he was deposited between the clean sheets and instantly burrowed into the pillows.

Donna chuckled, looking down at him and thinking how adorable he looked. She shook her head at the surge of almost maternal affection she felt for the boy. Then she went around collecting the dirty sheets, towels and clothes, laughing quietly to herself as she realised the 'boy' was only a couple of years younger than herself. Going back into the kitchenette, she was glad to see a washing machine. As small as this place was, she hadn't been sure there'd be one and thought she might have had to go to a laundrette. As it was, she shoved the sheets, towels and underwear into the machine, put in the relevent detergents etc., and set it off. Then she put a bowl of soup and another glass of the bottled still water she'd brought on a tray and took it back to Ianto. Sitting him up, she held the glass for him and warned him to sip it.

"Why are you doing this?" croaked Ianto, reaching shaking hands to hold Donna's hand as she held the glass for him to drink.

"Because you're sick and someone has to look after you." Stroking his hair back, she smiled gently at him, putting the empty glass aside. "Because you need a mate and I'm applying for the job." She grinned and reached for the bowl of broth, spooning it into his mouth. Silence reigned until the task was done, then Donna wiped his mouth with the teatowel she'd had on the tray. Putting it all aside, she helped him wiggle down on the bed again.

Standing and retrieving the tray, she went back into the kitchenette to eat some of the soup herself and then tidy everything away. Coming back in, she saw that he wasn't asleep as she'd expected. She put the bottle of water down beside the bed, before sitting beside him again.

"Why do you want to be my friend, Donna? You don't know anything about me." He sounded so lost and forlorn, genuinely confused as to why she'd think he was worth befriending.

Donna couldn't help it, she leaned forward and gathered him into her arms. Holding him to her, she smoothed his hair as she replied, "I know you're intelligent, gentle and kind. I know you've got a cheeky sense of humour hidden under that quiet exterior. I know that every girl in that office thinks you're a good bloke. I know that I like you and enjoy talking to you. That's why I want to be your friend, you silly man."

He'd been tense when she first embraced him, but then he'd melted into her. Slowly, he put his arms around her waist and then buried his face in her neck. She thought she heard a quiet sob. What sort of life had the poor lad been leading, that left him so lonely? It was like he'd not had anyone to just hold him, for no other reason than simple affection. She started rocking him, singing an old song under her breath as she rubbed circles on his back. After a while, she felt him sag in her arms, so lowered him back to the bed. His hands almost reached for her, before he curled them into fists and held them to his side. Donna got the distinct impression that he didn't want to give up the contact. Raking her hands through his hair, she noted how he leaned in to the touch. _Skin hungry, that's what he is, poor boy._ She'd read an article on it once, about how touch was one of the most important senses. People went a bit doo-lally when they were deprived of physical affection for too long. But what she didn't understand was why Ianto would be like that when he had a girlfriend. Surely, Lisa must give him a cuddle now and then.

Tucking him in, she noted that his face had regained some colour, as she wiped the tears from his cheeks. Looking at her watch, she saw it was quite late but she wasn't comfortable just leaving him. Rummaging around in her handbag, she fished out her phone and called home.

"Yeah, Mum, it's me… No, I'm not at the pub…... No, I don't need a ride home….. MUM! Will you just listen? I'm at a sick mate's place and I'm going to stay here to look after them. I'll be home tomorrow, okay? Yeah. Say goodnight to Dad." Hanging up, she took a huge breath and prayed for the strength to put up with her harpy of a mother.

"Are you staying here with me?" A small, sleepy voice asked from behind her.

Turning to look at him, she asked, "I was planning on it. Do you mind?"

He yawned and gave a small shake of his head. "Um, not sure about where you're going to sleep though."

She moved around the bedsit, closing windows, checking that the front door was locked, then went into the bathroom. Coming back to the bed, she looked down at him, "That's a double bed you've got there. Plenty of room for us both. Wouldn't be the first time I've shared with a mate. Budge over, then."

She kicked off her shoes and got in beside him. Lying in silence, broken only the sirens of emergency vehicles screaming down the road outside, Donna felt a tentative touch on her hand. Smiling in the darkness, she took Ianto's hand and held it by her side, stroking her thumb over the back of it.

"Thank you." Softly spoken, the words washed over her, making her smile even more.

"Croeso, cariad." Donna loved the Welsh language and had picked it up, along with the term of endearment from an old boyfriend. "Now get some sleep, yeah?"

The only response she got was a faint snore.

Waking up the next morning, Donna took a while to remember why she had a warm body snuggled into her side. Somehow, Ianto had managed to get her arm around him, so his back was against her side, his head was on her shoulder and her arm was across his chest. He was holding her hand and forearm with both his hands, which she could see but couldn't feel, having lost all sensation in her arm. It was going to be agony once the circulation was restored, she decided. She wondered idly if she'd be better off waiting until he woke up naturally, or whether she should try to extricate herself now. She stroked the fingers of her free hand down the side of his face, causing him to stir slightly. Rubbing his arm lightly made him turn over and cuddle into her, which wasn't the purpose of the exercise, as now she was even more pinned down. Still, at least her arm was free to move, she noticed with a grimace as the pins and needles sensation hit her.

Ianto yawned, squeezed Donna and moved to kiss her cheek.

"You know I'm not Lisa, right?"

Donna didn't think she'd ever seen someone move so fast, as Ianto did at the sound of her voice. She lunged forward to grab his flailing arm as he almost fell off the side of the bed. "Steady on, Yan. It's alright. Just calm down."

Ianto launched into a stream of rapid Welsh, with a hand on his heart. Donna grinned at him, reaching for the bottle of water beside the couch/bed. "Yan, I'm good, but I'm not that good. If you're going to speak Welsh, you'll have to do so slowly or I won't get it. Now, drink some more of this water. Apart from heart failure at finding me in your bed, how are you feeling this morning?"

Taking some time to compose himself and gulp some water, Ianto finally answered, "Pretty good actually. A lot better than I have been. Thanks."

Getting out of the bed, Donna headed for the bathroom. "Well, that's good to hear. I'll be out of your hair shortly."

Ianto looked down at himself, feeling decidedly underdressed. Getting up, he pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. When Donna emerged from the bathroom, he went in.

Donna wandered into the kitchen and put the kettle on, ignoring the fancy coffee maker. Putting a couple of slices of the bread she'd brought into the toaster, she moved to the fridge to see whether Ianto had any butter.

"Donna?" Ianto entered and started making himself a coffee.

"Yeah?" Donna continued to rummage in the fridge, looking for jam.

"Thanks for looking after me last night." He poured hot water from the kettle over the teabag she'd left in a mug.

"No problems, Yan, what are mates for?" She turned and grinned at him, jam jar in one hand, milk in the other. Looking back at her, he couldn't help grinning back. She made him feel like everything would somehow work out for the best.


	2. The Lost Is Found

Chapter 2 - The Lost is Found

Late 2006

Donna mooched downstairs in her pajamas, made herself some toast and tea and sat at the table opposite her father. Looking up idly, she saw the headlines of the Telegraph: MASSACRE AT CANARY WHARF! Snatching the paper from her startled Dad, she read the article with her heart in her throat. There'd been hundreds of people killed in some sort of alien attack. She held her breath as she scanned the list of the missing and dead, then released it in a sigh of relief when she saw that Ianto's name wasn't on it. Then her eyes fell on another name and she felt like she'd been kicked in the stomach. Missing: Lisa Hallett. _Oh god, poor Ianto._

She ran back upstairs, taking them two at a time, racing for her bedroom to get her phone. She and Ianto hadn't been in close contact since she'd been at Torchwood, but they rang each other at least once a month. The calls lasted up to an hour as they nattered away, especially when one or the other of them had had a fight with their respective significant other. She fumbled with her phone in her urgency to make sure her friend was alright. Finally, it was ringing. And ringing… And ringing… Voicemail. "You've reached Ianto Jones, I'm unable to take your call right now, please leave a message after the beep."

Donna clutched the phone so hard her knuckles turned white. "Ianto, this is Donna. Please call me back, as soon as you can. I just read about what happened and I'm worried. Please, just call me back, Yan. Please tell me you're okay."

Snapping her phone shut, she started pacing around her room, her heart beating uncomfortably fast in her chest. Donna knew that Ianto and Lisa had moved in together, but she'd never been to his new place. Lisa turned out to be the jealous sort and hadn't liked Donna from the outset. Ianto seemed happy and Donna hadn't wanted to jeopardise his relationship, so had kept her distance. Then she'd been busy at H.C. Clements and with Lance, so she'd not been in contact with him much lately. Now he'd lost his love, the poor boy must be heartbroken and she had to find him.

Making up her mind, she hurriedly showered and dressed before booting up her computer. She searched on Ianto's name and found his new address. Grabbing her bag and calling out her goodbyes to her mother, she ran out the door.

Six hours later, Donna had spent a fruitless day, searching for Ianto. He wasn't at the address she'd found online, she'd checked with the police and the hospital, it was like he'd vanished into thin air. Suddenly her phone rang and she answered it on the first ring, her voice shrill with worry, "Hello?"

"D-Donna?"

"Ianto, sweetheart, where are you? Are you alright? I've been looking for you all day." Donna felt her body tense, coiled, ready to spring into action and fly to be with her friend.

"Th-they killed everyone, Donna. I-I hid, so they d-didn't get me. I-I'm a coward. L-Lisa…" Ianto's voice broke as he choked out a sob.

"Yan, cariad. Where are you?" Hearing the despair and pain in his voice, made her shift to still and calm, her voice soothing and steady.

"I…I don't know. I'm in a pub. I'm …I've been drinking. D-Donna? Can you come and get me? Please?"

The lost quality of his voice struck Donna to the heart, but she needed the name of the pub. "Ianto, sweetheart, tell me the name of the pub. In fact, put the bartender on, there's a good lad."

Donna heard the phone being handed over, then a gruff voice, "Yeah?"

"I need to know what the name of your bar is and where you are, so I can come and collect my friend, please?"

The voice grunted, then gave her the requested information before growling, "You'd better 'urry, your mate looks ready to pass out and I ain't cleaning up after 'im neither." Then the phone went dead.

Donna blinked at the phone for a minute, before hurrying to get to the address given to her. Fortunately, she hadn't been too far from it and luck was on her side with the public transport. Walking into what was quite possibly the scuzziest pub she'd ever been in, she scanned the dim interior for a sign of Ianto. She spotted him leaning on the bar towards the back and bolted over to him, nearly knocking the one other punter in the place out of the way. She stood beside him and ran her hand over his shoulders, "Yan? You still with us there, Sunshine?"

He shifted and looked up at her blearily, squinting as he tried to bring her blurry outline into focus, "Donna?"

"Hello there," she smiled at him and ran her hand over his hair.

He lunged at her, grabbing her around the waist and burying his face in her neck, exclaiming with a sob, "DONNA!" Then he broke down completely, sobbing and clinging to her, all defenses down. The fact that he'd initiated physical contact and was displaying his emotions so openly, when he almost never did, was a telling indication of his mental state. Donna was stunned for a moment, but then quickly threw her arms around him in a fierce embrace.

The bartender tutted at the display of what he considered unmanly weakness from his customer. Donna glared at him with such undisguised fury, that he actually took a step back from her. "He. Was. At. Canary. Wharf.," she hissed at him pointedly through clenched teeth, as though it explained everything. Which it did, really. The bartender looked appropriately shamed and hurried to clean the other end of the bar.

Cradling Ianto protectively, Donna rubbed his back and comforted him until his cries slowly ebbed away. He sniffled and tightened his hold on her, seeking comfort like a child. She was happy to be there for him, stroking his hair to reassure him.

"Come on, cariad, let's take you home."

Ianto stiffened in her arms, before pulling back and wiping his face. "No! No, Donna, it's alright. I don't want to go home. Please…"

Frowning, Donna looked at him in bewilderment. "Why not?"

His face went blank, locking his emotions away behind a mask of reserve. "I'm really …I'm alright, I don't need you to take me home. I'm not as drunk as I thought I was."

Giving him a pointed look, with raised eyebrow, Donna suggested he stand up. When he complied, he immediately staggered as his legs gave way. Catching him, Donna propped him back up on the barstool. "Want to try giving me a truthful answer now, Welshman?"

His mask had slipped a little to reveal pleading eyes and a quivering lip. "It reminds me of L-Lisa."

Donna softened and put her arms around him again, whereupon he thankfully sank back into her embrace. Stroking his temple with her thumb, she thought about her options. His place was just around the corner, whereas her mother's place was a long journey. Ianto could barely walk and she couldn't afford a cab all the way to her place. No, she'd just have to convince him to go back to his place.

"You're going to have to go back there sometime, Yan. Isn't it better to go back when you've got a friend with you to hold your hand?" Using her softest, most persuasive tone, she rocked him to lull him from any panic at the thought.

He was silent for a few minutes, before relenting. He nodded in resignation.

"Right. No time like the present then." Donna hoisted him upright, guided his arm around her shoulders and moved towards the door. "Did you have a coat when you came in? Do you owe any money?"

Ianto shook his head, responding in a lifeless tone, "No, my coat's still at Tor…, no, no coat. I may owe money. Don't remember."

Donna glanced at the bartender but he waved her on, shaking his head to her silent question. She smiled her thanks and returned her concentration to getting Ianto moving in the direction of his house.

Through a combination of encouragement and bullying, Donna got Ianto to his front door. He fumbled in his pockets for his keys, handing them over to her without complaint. Letting them in, she made sure to keep her arm around him, especially when she heard his sharp intake of breath.

"Sm-smells like Lisa," Ianto whimpered, cowering back into Donna.

Donna soothed him and directed him to the bathroom, where she started a shower. Stripping him of his bloodstained clothes, she gently pushed him towards the shower, directing him to wash. Then she hurried out to the bedroom and gathered some boxers, jogger bottoms and a tshirt. Glancing at the bed, she saw it was still rumpled from where Ianto and Lisa had left it. She hesitated then decided to strip and remake the bed, leaving one pillow and pillowcase in case Ianto wanted something that smelled of Lisa to cuddle.

Going back into the bathroom, she saw that he'd slid down the wall, arms wrapped around his knees which were drawn up to his chest, and was sobbing weakly. She turned the water off and put a towel around his shoulders. Encouraging him to stand, she towelled him off and led him back into the bedroom. After she'd given him his clean clothes, he climbed into them on automatic pilot. Donna held up the duvet and motioned for him to get in, covering him afterwards. Sitting on the edge of the bed beside him, she held his hand and stroked his face, singing in a low, languid way. Slowly, his breathing deepened and he dropped off to sleep.

Donna remained perched on the bed for a further half hour, to ensure that he wasn't going to wake, then moved around having a general tidy. She picked up one of Lisa's magazines and sat on the sofa, waiting for Ianto to wake up. Suddenly, a scream pierced the stillness and Donna leapt to her feet and raced to Ianto's side. He was sitting bolt upright in bed, tears streaming down his terror stricken face, his arms reaching for her desperately.

The night had been long for both Donna and Ianto. He'd clung to her for most of the night, whether asleep or awake, and she'd sung, rocked and soothed 'til she was hoarse. By the dawn, Ianto was finally sleeping peacefully in Donna's arms as she dozed lightly.

They woke around lunchtime, when Donna insisted Ianto eat, cooking up some scrambled eggs and toast for them. Over their tea, Donna broached the delicate subject of the future. "What will you do now, Yan?"

He flinched, "I don't know, I haven't thought that far. We're allowed to go back into Torchwood today to get our personal effects. After that, I thought I might go back to Cardiff. Visit my sister, maybe." His fingers twitched, like he was going to take her hand, but he was back to his normal reticence.

Reaching across the table, Donna took his hand and squeezed it gently. Ianto raised his eyes to hers briefly before sliding them away again. A tear slowly trickled down his cheek, unnoticed. Softly, Donna asked, "Do you want me to come with you to Torchwood?"

Slowly, he shook his head. "I'd like that, but they won't allow it. I'll be alright. Nothing there to hurt me now."

They were both startled by the shrill ringing of Donna's phone. Donna answered it, walking out to the lounge as Ianto started washing up. "Hello? Yeah, what is it, Mum? Oh god, is that today? No, I'm not at Lance's. Yeah, I know I was out all night. NO! I wasn't with anyone else. Not like that, I'm at a mate's place. Yeah, yeah. I'll meet you there. Right. Bye."

Walking back into the kitchen, she picked up the teatowel and started to dry the dishes Ianto had washed. "My mum is going ballistic 'cos I'm supposed to be at a dress fitting. I'm getting married at Christmas. Lance his name is. Met him at work – he's the Personnel Manager. He brought me coffee every day. Imagine. No-one brings the temp coffee. Anyway, I'm going to have to go meet her."

Ianto turned and gave her a kiss on the cheek, shyly. "Congratulations, Donna."

"Thanks, sweetheart. I was going to invite you, but I didn't think Lis… well, anyway, now you'll be having a family Christmas in Wales, won't you? You'll be with your niece and nephew, which will be nice. Christmas is about kids, after all." She rubbed his upper arm, reassuringly.

He swallowed, but didn't offer anything further.

Donna sighed, "Yan. I can rearrange this fitting, if you want me to stay w.."

"No. It's alright, Donna. I'll be fine. Really." He was smiling, trying to show her he was back in control. "I'm going to Torchwood to get my stuff, then I'm going to come back here, pack and get the train to Cardiff. I'll text you when I get to Rhiannon's place."

Donna moved forward and hugged him. "Merry Christmas, Welshman. Make sure you keep in contact and don't make me worry about you."

Holding her tightly, he mumbled, "I won't make you worry about me. Thank you, for everything. I-I love you."

"You'll be alright, given time. I know it doesn't seem like it now, but things will get better, cariad."

He nodded, releasing her with a final bashful kiss.

"Oh, and I love you too, you silly man."

They parted, promising to stay in touch. Neither of them realising just how crazy their lives were about to get.


	3. Phone Calls From The Edge of Madness

**Phonecall**** from the Edge of Madness**

Early 2007

London

Donna sat on her couch, mobile phone in hand, contemplating her life. The disastrous business with the Racnoss, the humiliation of her failed wedding and being used by Lance, the joy and terror of meeting the Doctor, the regret of turning his offer down, the pain and loss of her Dad's death. She'd been trying to deal with it, trying to help her Mother cope with losing her husband, trying to hold it all together. She didn't think she was being particularly successful, as she gazed at her phone rattling in her shaking hands. Her Gramps had just called her and offered to come and stay for a couple of weeks, an offer she'd eagerly accepted. She really needed some support with her Mother, and since her Nan died Gramps had been pretty lonely, so it was a win-win situation.

She yelped as her phone rang, frightening the living bejeesus out of her. Snapping it open, she all but hollered, "Hello?"

"Donna? It's Ianto."

"Oh god, Yan. You scared the hell out of me. How are you, cariad?"

"I'm…okay. Busy with my new job. I'm calling to say how sorry I am about your Dad. I just heard about it. If I'd known sooner, I'd have called."

Donna swallowed, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. "Thanks, cariad. I'm … doing better. I had a crazy Christmas…"

"Your wedding, of course. Congratulations."

Laughing ruefully, Donna hastened to catch Ianto up on her life. When she'd finished, she added shakily, "My life is out of control, Yan. But enough about me, what's going on with you? What's this new job?"

"I'm working for Torchwood 3 in Cardiff. I'm nothing special, I'm just a …a man servant."

Donna smiled fondly, "Yan, you're more special than you think. You're certainly special to me. Are you okay with working at Torchwood again? I would've thought you'd want to avoid the place like a case of the clap."

Ianto's tone took on a guarded quality, "I think it's worthwhile work. Even if I'm only the teaboy."

"Never underestimate the healing power of a well made beverage, Ianto." Donna chuckled, hearing him echo her laugh, "Now, tell me about the people you work with, are there as many as at Torchwood 1. Is there any eyecandy?"

Smiling, Ianto launched into a detailed description of each of his co-workers. The smile faded as he trailed off with, "They don't even know I'm alive though, Donna. I clean up after them, fetch and carry for them, but not one of them notices me or asks me how I am. No-ones cares…"

Catching the faint sob on the other end of the line, Donna hastened to reassure him. "Yan, cariad, I care. I always care. No matter what, I love you and care about what happens to you. Remember that! Or I'll slap you 'til you do."

Remembering the very occasional, but painful, slaps he'd incurred in the past, Ianto gave a shaky laugh. "Wouldn't want that."

"Damn right, you wouldn't, Sunshine." Donna's voice softened, "Yan, do you want me to come visit?"

"You'd come to Cardiff? J-just to see me?" He sounded amazed.

"Anytime you asked me to, in a heartbeat," she replied promptly with no hesitation.

"Thank you, Donna. I.." Voices shouted his name in the background, "I have to go. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, bye cariad. Take care of yourself."

"You too."

Donna had the distinct feeling that something wasn't right with Ianto, that he was hiding something from her. Once her Gramps had arrived, she was going to go visit Ianto.

Cardiff - One Week Later:

Donna stepped out onto Roald Dahl Plass, feeling the cool night breeze coming off the bay lift and tug at her hair. She'd been to Ianto's flat and then redirected her search efforts to his workplace, when his flat proved unoccupied. As she surveyed her surroundings, she spotted Ianto walking unsteadily across the Plass. She waved and called his name but there was no response from him, so she ran towards him. The closer she got, the faster she ran, concerned by the pallor of his face and the blood on his clothes. Donna drew level with him and grabbed his arm to swing him around, crying breathlessly, "Oi, Sunshine. Are you deaf or ignorant?"

Ianto looked at her vacantly, past caring what happened to him now that Lisa was gone. His whole purpose had been to cure Lisa, return her to what she'd been, to the person he loved. Now that was gone, along with his job, his co-workers, his life. He shuddered without noticing.

She felt as a violent shiver coursed through Ianto, making him quake under her hands. His eyes were dull and his skin too cold, clammy and white for her liking. When she felt his neck for his pulse, she was unsurprised to find it racing. The boy was in shock, but from what and why wasn't someone with him? She cupped his cool cheek, asking gently, "What happened, cariad? Why isn't there someone with you?"

"He … he told me to ..to leave. T-to get out. I don't know what to do now….Donna?" He seemed to register who was with him, grabbing her shoulders, "Donna. Tell me what to do. Please?" His legs gave out and he sank to his knees, clinging to her and burying his face in her chest. "Oh god…" He sobbed dryly.

Her mind was reeling with the list of questions clamoring to be answered. But Ianto wasn't getting any warmer out here in the open. Putting her curiosity and concern to the side, Donna bent down and hoisted him back to his feet. She put his arm around her shoulders, wedging her shoulder into his armpit and grasping him firmly around his waist. "C'mon now, cariad, let's get you home."

Reaching the door to his flat, she had to fish the keys from his pocket as he was unresponsive now and had been all the way home. Manhandling him inside, she locked the plethora of locks and slide the bolts. "God, it's like Fort Knox. Mind you, the area you live in is a bit rank. I'd have thought you could afford a bit better on Torchwood wages." Turning, she guided him into the bathroom, filling the tub as she stripped him of his soiled clothes. "Every time I see you, I end up seeing your tackle, young man. What is it with that? People are going to be calling me a pervert."

Keeping up the stream of meaningless chatter, she got him bathed, redressed in warm clothes and into his bed. The whole time he remained mute. Until she got up to go to the kitchen for tea, then his hand flicked out to grip her wrist and he murmured, "No. Stay?".

She looked down and saw the naked fear on his face. "I'm not leaving you, Yan. I'm just going to make us some tea. Shall I sing, so you know I'm still here?" When he nodded, she launched into Somewhere Over The Rainbow and kept singing 'til she came back with two mugs of tea.

Helping him to sit up, they drank their tea in silence, after which she lay down on the bed with him. He seemed to crave her touch, burrowing into her and clutching her jacket. He finally fell asleep and she lay there wondering what had happened to him. Donna eased him off her shoulder, getting up to use the bathroom and then return the mugs to the kitchen. She was just coming out when there was a knock at the door, startling her. She stood uncertainly for a moment and the knocking sounded again, louder, accompanied by a strong American voice, "Ianto! I know you're in there. Answer the door!"

Donna strode to the door, opening all the locks and throwing it open. The epitome of tall, dark and handsome was on the other side, grinning at her. The wind shifted and carried the most delicious scent with it. Donna felt her knees weaken and her heartbeat quicken, parts of her anatomy suddenly flushed with desire. Shaking herself, Donna forced herself to disregard her body's response, putting her hands on her hips and tilting her chin defiantly. "What the bloody hell do you want, pretty boy?"

Slightly put off at her tone, he recovered quickly. "Captain Jack Harkness, at your service."

"Jack Harkness? Oh! You'd be Ianto's boss. I suppose you're the one who told him to get out. You're the one who sent a traumatized boy out into the world without a care as to how he'd get home." Donna was warming up into a full scale rant, her protectiveness of her friend fueling her rage.

Jack looked at the feisty woman in front of him, feeling somewhat intimidated which was an unusual feeling for him. He'd been watching Ianto on the CCTV as he left the hub, expecting him to get into a cab. When he'd seen him being intercepted by a woman, he'd decided he'd better check up on him. As angry, hurt and betrayed as he was, he still cared for Ianto. "You seem to have me at a disadvantage, Miss. You seem to know about me, but I don't know you."

"Miss? Do I look single to you? Oh whatever, come in before the neighbours call the police. Not that that would be an uncommon occurrence in this rathole." Donna stood back to let him in and when he brushed past her to get inside, she almost collapsed again, concentrating on the locks to take her mind off it. She pointed to the couch, ordering him to sit. Then she went to check on Ianto, who was either asleep or pretending to be.

Turning back to go into the living room, she ran into a solid wall of warm flesh. "Arrgh, God! Someone should put a bell on you, you sneaky git! Get back into the living room. Go on, go!" She hissed at him, shooing him away from Ianto.

Once they were both seated on Ianto's couch, she folded her arms and glared at the delectable man in front of her. "Right. Whole story. Now."

Jack grinned at her charmingly, but quickly saw that his winning ways were getting him nowhere with this unusual woman. He capitulated and told her of how Ianto had hidden his half-converted cyberwoman girlfriend in the basement, lying to his colleagues and endangering the human race. Jack told her how he'd ordered Ianto to kill her, but how he and the other team members had to do it for him. He told the story well and thoroughly, leaving nothing out and letting his emotions show. When he'd finished, he sat with his head down, staring miserably at his hands in his lap.

Donna watched him, looking for deceit or manipulation, but found none. Jack seemed genuinely distraught at what had happened. She studied his face, particularly his eyes which were so much older than his looks. She was uncomfortably reminded of the Doctor and the pain she saw lurking behind his eyes. Reaching out, she laid her hand on the side of Jack's face. Those old, incredibly blue eyes darted up to hers in surprise and widened when he saw the compassion on her face. She guided his head down to her shoulder, wrapping her other arm around his shoulders, sighing "What a mess" as she rubbed his back soothingly.

It had been a long time since someone had held Jack, solely for the purpose of comfort. Usually it was him being strong for others and doing the comforting. He knew his 51st century pheromones had affected Donna when he'd come in, something he'd exploited by brushing against her deliberately. But there was nothing sexual in this embrace, it was pure and simple compassion and he found himself melting into it gratefully and hoping it wasn't going to end anytime soon.

Dropping a kiss on his head, she prompted, "Come on. It's late. You can bunk in with me and Yan, but no funny business." She stood up and lead him by the hand into the bedroom, flicking the lights off as she went. Grabbing her pajamas and toiletries, she headed back out to the bathroom.

By the time she came back in, Jack had stripped to t-shirt and boxers, sitting on the side of the bed uncertainly. Looking at her, he said in an uncharacteristically shy voice, "Do you want to be in the middle? Ianto may not take too kindly to waking up next to the man who killed his girlfriend."

Donna noted the tense bodylines of the boy in question, realizing that he was awake and pretending not to be. "Good idea. Although from the sound of it, you didn't kill his girlfriend. You killed what was wearing his girlfriend." She sighed when she saw Ianto's body tense further. He'd snap if he didn't relax a little.

Climbing into the bed, she put her arm around Ianto, drawing him closer to her. Jack climbed in next and lay with his back to her, unconsciously wiggling as close as possible without actually touching her. She huffed a laugh, realizing that he wanted to be held too, so obligingly stretched out her other arm to him. He settled his head on her shoulder and she wrapped her arm across his chest. She laughed softly and kissed his head when he sighed happily. Turning back to Ianto, she kissed him on the forehead and rubbed her hand up and down his arm. Then she started singing Goodnight, My Love softly, under her breath, to lull them both to sleep.

Ianto's nightmares woke them all a couple of times throughout the night, but he seemed to settle again quickly, after sobbing himself into exhaustion each time. Donna woke in the morning, sandwiched between two warm bodies and lazily thought how she could think of worse ways to wake up. Grinning wickedly, she looked down at Ianto to see he was still asleep, then turned to Jack and found herself looking into his brilliant blue eyes. "Hello there, pretty boy. How are you feeling this morning?"

He smiled back at her languidly, "I'm feeling pretty damn good, thank you. I'd kill for some coffee though."

"If either of you even looks at my coffee machine, I won't be responsible for my actions." Ianto murmured, unable to sleep through his bedmates conversation.

"Well, then, you'd better get your butt out of bed and make the coffee, hadn't you," teased Donna, glad to hear Ianto speaking normally.

He grumbled under his breath and cuddled into her further, making her laugh. Suddenly she chanted in a sing-song voice, "Three in the bed and the middle one said, roll over, roll over… Come on, boys. Time to face another day. Up and at 'em."

Soon, they were sitting around the kitchen table drinking coffee or tea and eating toast. Jack cleared his throat. "So Donna, what do you do for a living?"

"Well, Captain Flash, I'm a temp. I type 100 words a minute, take outstanding shorthand and can organize a filing system in no time at all. Best temp in Chiswick, me." Grinning smugly, she moved to make herself another cup of tea.

"Do you have work at the moment?" His tone deliberately casual and light.

She turned and looked at him suspiciously, not deceived in the slightest by his tone. "No, nothing at the moment. Why?"

"Well, we have an archives section, which Ianto is organizing for us, but I thought he might need a hand with it since it's such a huge job and…"

"Hold it!" Cutting him off, she glanced at Ianto who looked delighted, "Are you offering me a job, pretty boy?"

"You'll have to call me Jack, if you take the job, but yes. I'm offering you a job." Flashing her a dimpled grin, he oozed sincere warmth.

"Why?"

He looked down at his empty coffee cup. "You've worked for Torchwood before, so you know the drill. The archives are vast and with you helping they'll be organized faster.." Looking up, he saw her sceptical look and stopped. "Honestly?" She nodded. "Ianto could do with a friend here in Cardiff and he seems to trust you."

Donna looked at Ianto who was pleading with her to stay here with him, just for a while. She thought of her mother and Gramps back in Chiswick. "I've got family who need me back home, but I'll ring and run it past them. I'm sure my Gramps could cope with my mother for a month and frankly I could do with a break from her. You do the washing up and I'll go call Gramps."

She came back in, just as Jack was drying the last plate. "Right, pretty boy. Looks like you've got a new temp. As for you, Welshman, you've got a new room mate."

Their grins almost blinded her, but she couldn't help grinning back as the pressure she'd felt in her chest since her Dad died eased a little.


	4. Lonely At The Top

**Chapter 4 ****Lonely At The Top. Or is it?**

2007

Donna had been accepted into the team easily, the others looking to her as a sort of mother figure. She scolded them, teased them, comforted them, counselled them and didn't try to change them. Not to mention the fact that her earthy humour made them all laugh, bringing morale up. It had been hard on Ianto coming back and facing their anger and hurt, but he was fortified by Donna's presence and Jack's support. Donna and Ianto's favourite past time was to chatter in Welsh, annoying those who couldn't speak it and bemusing Gwen, whose Welsh was a bit rusty. Donna's Welsh had been rusty too, but constant exposure to Ianto had improved it. She was a quick study when it came to something she was interested in and she loved languages and other cultures.

Donna and Ianto were currently alone in the Hub, with the rest of team chasing fairies. Literally. If someone had told her a couple of months ago, that her life would end up like this, she'd have laughed in their face.

Ianto fidgeted nervously with the coffee mug he'd picked up during his tidying, "Donna, do you think it's…never mind."

Donna looked up from where she'd been typing up the inventory from the latest section of the archive. Smiling good humouredly, she replied, "Yan, you can talk to me about anything. If something's bothering you, spit it out, Welshman."

"It's just, well, I've never..ahem, well, you see, Jack is.. um.."

Rolling her eyes, Donna interrupted, "Stop. Breathe. Think. Tell."

Taking a deep breath, Ianto rushed out, "IthinkJackfanciesmeandIdon'tknowwhattodo."

Her laughter rang around the Hub, causing Myfanwy to shriek in reply. "Once more with clarity, please, Yan."

He smiled ruefully, rubbing the back of his neck, "I said, I think Jack fancies me and I don't know what to do."

"Do you fancy him?" Donna resumed her typing, she saw where this was going and thought he might find it easier if she wasn't focusing solely on him.

"Doesn't everyone?" His reply was deliberately light.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't kick him out of bed." She chuckled.

Turning serious, Ianto sat next to Donna, causing her to stop her typing and face him. "But Donna, I'm not gay. I've never fancied men before, so I don't know if I could…you know. I thought the idea would disgust me, but with Jack, I find it…"

"Intriguing? Exciting? Incredibly arousing? All of the above?" Donna suggested knowingly.

He nodded, blushing. "He's kissed me before. After Lisa.. after she threw me across a room, I woke up and he was kissing me."

Donna's grin was salacious. "Lucky you. Was it as good as I've imagined it to be?"

Ianto smiled, looking off into the distance.

Sniggering, Donna said, "I'll take that as a yes. Yan, maybe I'm being dense, but I don't see the problem. He likes you, you like him, you're both consenting adults…"

"But does he like me? He flirts with everyone and everything. He's been with thousands of people, human and alien. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. He's kissed me once. He's kissed just about everyone who works here at least once, so that doesn't mean much. But then he came out of his room and touched me on the back of the shoulder this morning. When I looked at him, he seemed to .. I don't know. He seemed to need the contact, I guess. Like he found it comforting, found me comforting, like I was more than some passing fancy." Ianto looked down, biting his lip in his confusion. "And there's the other problem - I'm not gay. I've always liked girls, so why do I suddenly like a man? And what will the others, or my family, say? I just…well, I'm just confused. Donna? Tell me what I should do." He stopped, looking at her pleadingly.

Reaching over, Donna took one of Ianto's hands and held it in hers. Her other hand reached up to the side of his head, stroking his cheek with her thumb. "Cariad, listen to me. Jack likes you. In fact, I think he likes you so much it scares him. He's been hurt in the past and that makes it hard to love again, as you well know. Just take it slowly, do what you're comfortable with and take it one step at a time. Jack is like everyone else, he needs comforting and reassuring sometimes and I'm pretty sure he has bad dreams. He plays a good game, acting like he knows everything, but no-one's that perfect. I think your calm, steady presence soothes him, acting as a counterbalance for his mercurial nature. As for him being a man… well, I think there are those who love men, those who love women and then there are those lucky few, who can love a person regardless of gender. Those who can see past the body and see the heart of a person. You, Ianto Jones, are one of the lucky few. You loved Lisa, regardless of what she looked like, didn't you?"

He looked down at the mention of Lisa, before whispering, "I don't know that I love Jack, Donna. I should hate him. He killed Lisa."

Donna looked stern, as she gripped his chin and tilted his face so he was looking at her, replying firmly, "Jack did what he had to do to save the world, Ianto Jones. The cyberwoman he shot and killed wasn't Lisa anymore. In fact, he shot what killed Lisa. You know that."

Leaning forward to put his head on Donna's shoulder, he sighed, "I'm frightened."

Rubbing his back, Donna laid her cheek against his head, murmuring, "I know, cariad. Taking the leap into the unknown is scary. But by the same token, you don't want to look back on your life and regret not taking the chance. You could miss out on so many amazing things, if you make your decisions based on fear. Believe me. I know that from personal experience."

"You mean not going with the Doctor?" Donna hadn't told him much about the Doctor, but he always paid attention when she did.

"Yeah. But then, if I'd gone with him, I wouldn't have been there when Dad died, or for Mum afterwards, or for you, so I guess it all worked out for the best. And you never know, I might see him again someday."

Ianto and Donna jumped and looked up as the rest of the team stormed in. Judging by the looks on Gwen, Owen and Tosh's faces, something terrible had happened and their cold treatment of Jack seemed to indicate that they thought it to be his fault. Ianto and Donna looked at each other, then Donna rose to find out what had happened, whilst Ianto started tidying nearby. Picking her target, she decided Tosh would be the easiest source of information. Owen was too angry, Gwen too overtly emotional but Tosh could give her facts without too much hard work.

Striding over to where Tosh sat at her computer, Donna asked straight out, "What happened? Why are you all mad at Jack?"

Tosh looked up at her, her glasses glinting in the light, saying succinctly, "There was a little girl, Jasmine. She was a Chosen One. Jack let the fairies take her."

Donna nodded, sensing that Jack was being unfairly blamed by the rest, due to their own feelings of inadequacy and impotence. "The fairies wanted this girl, then?"

"Yes."

"And what would have happened if they didn't get her?" Donna asked, making sure to keep her voice neutral.

Gwen jumped in, claiming angrily, "We'll never know 'cos Jack didn't even try to save her."

"These fairies. They're the ones who managed to choke a man, who was locked alone in a cell, with flower petals, aren't they?" Donna queried.

"Yes, but.."

Carrying on as though, Gwen hadn't answered, "The same ones then, that managed to make it rain only over one old woman's garden, hard enough to beat her to the ground and drown her?"

"Yeah, but…"

"Was the girl distressed to be going with the fairies?" Donna suddenly switched tack, throwing her quarry off target, her tone soft, guiding. Ianto hid a grin, he knew his colleagues didn't stand a chance against his friend.

"No, she wanted to go but she didn't know what she was…" Gwen had never had her arguments overridden like this before. Generally she was the one who blustered and won.

"And did any of you offer any solutions for saving this girl?" Donna continued the onslaught with deceptive gentleness.

"Well, no but Jack…" Gwen was starting to feel uncomfortable.

"Right then. I'm new to all this but my understanding, from what you've said, is that an omnipotent race of creatures wanted a small child, who in turn wanted to go with them. Jack had to make the incredibly difficult decision to sacrifice this small child in order to save the world. He had to do this whilst already grieving for a woman he loved who died tragically. THEN, instead of being comforted by his friends, he's maligned and abused for doing what was necessary and what none of you had the courage to do. Does that just about sum it up?" Donna's tone was flat, oozing with disapproval.

Gwen, Tosh and Owen at least had the good grace to look ashamed.

"It's not just that," said Gwen defensively, "The girl's mother lost her husband when the fairies killed him and then she lost her little girl too. Jack should've thought of the mother."

"Riiight. If the girl wanted to go with the fairies, it sounds like the mother did a fair job of losing her before Jack came on the scene. And if the woman had lost all her family, retconning and relocating her for a brand new start would work, wouldn't it? She'd never even know what she lost."

Gwen looked stunned at this observation.

"Right. Well, you've obviously all had a terrible day, so why don't you all take off. It's quitting time anyway. Ianto and I will turn off the lights and lock up." Turning her back on them, Donna made her anger clear. She went back to her desk, starting to type furiously with Ianto at her side and waited until their co-workers had left. Then they rose as one and went into Jack's office.

Jack was sitting at his desk, nursing a glass of scotch, the bottle sitting in front of him. He looked up defensively when they entered, then sagged in relief when he saw who it was, looking exhausted and defeated. Ianto went and sat on the corner of Jack's desk, facing him, as Donna stood on Jack's other side. Running a hand over his hair, Donna murmured, "It wasn't your fault, sweetheart. You did what had to be done. I'm sorry knowing that won't make it any easier for you."

Jack continued to stare at his drink for a few more minutes, enjoying the sensation of her hand on his hair. Suddenly he let go of his scotch, turned his face into Donna's midriff, hooking his arm around her waist and reaching out blindly with his other hand for Ianto's hand. Stifled sobs sounded, as she continued to stroke his hair and whisper reassurances. Ianto added his own reassurances, given in his softly spoken Welsh.

"Do you want to come back to our place tonight, Jack? Get away from here, have some real food, watch a dvd, stay over?" Donna offered, raising an eyebrow to Ianto, who nodded firmly.

Jack nodded against her stomach.

"Oi, stop wiping your snot on me, pretty boy." Donna slapped him lightly on the shoulder, laughing to show she was joking.

Jack gave a shaky laugh and looked up at her. She wiped stray tears from his face and bent down to kiss his forehead. "Come on, then. Better go, before some other beastie alarm goes off."

Hours later, after Donna and Ianto had whipped up a scrumptious homemade meal, the washing up had been done and they were sprawled side by side on the couch, watching a movie. They'd made their way through quite a number of bottles of wine, and were well on the way to drunk. Donna spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she saw Jack stroking Ianto's thigh as he lay with his head on Ianto's shoulder. When he tilted his head and started nuzzling Ianto's neck eliciting a low groan from him, Donna drew the line.

"Um, you two might want to move this to the bedroom. I'll just go get my stuff, then I'll sleep out here. With my iPod in." She got up and went to the bedroom, emerging a few minutes later to find Jack had pinned Ianto to the wall outside. "Oi, not in front of me! Get into the bedroom, you pair!"

Ianto smiled apologetically over Jack's shoulder, nudging him towards the bedroom and succeeding in slamming him into the doorjam. They shuffled sideways and then the door closed and Donna headed for the bathroom, shaking her head and snorting with laughter. She'd better have the iPod turned up louder than usual.

The next morning, Jack and Ianto stumbled into the kitchen, giggling and looking starry eyed. Donna, who was sitting at the table with her mug of tea, rolled her eyes and smiled. "Either we need to find a bigger apartment with two bedrooms, Welshman, or I need to find my own place."

They looked at her guiltily, and in Ianto's case, slightly panicked. He released Jack and hurried over to Donna, saying, "No, no, Donna, you don't have to move out. I'm sorry if we kept you awake, we didn't think. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable here. This is your home too, for as long as you want.."

"Ianto, stop babbling. I didn't hear anything apart from my music, last night. But your couch is damn uncomfortable to sleep on and this is just a temporary arrangement anyway. Eventually, I will have to go back and face the music in Chiswick. So maybe it's best if I try to find a small place of my own for the next couple of weeks. It will give you and Jack some space too. Always important."

Jack had stood back, thinking this was between the two friends. But at the mention of his name, he came forward to add his two cents. "Donna, you don't have to move because of us. If we made you uncomfortable, I'm sorry. We can keep our sexlife at the Hub, if you want."

Donna shook her head, amused at the way they were trying to be sensitive to her needs. "Boys, boys, what am I gonna do with you? You didn't make me uncomfortable, sleeping on the couch did. I'm absolutely ecstatic that the two of you have gotten together. I don't mind where you have sex, so long as I'm not in the room. I am going to need my own room, whilst I'm here though. Maybe I should take over your little bolthole at Torchwood, whilst you stay here, Jack?"

Ianto looked dismayed. He loved sharing with Donna and didn't want her to move out, even if Jack moved in. Jack caught the look on Ianto's face, so he shook his head. "No, Donna, I won't be staying with Ianto every night anyway."

"Well, let's just shelve this for another time before we're late for work, huh?" Donna suggested, getting up and washing her tea mug up before heading for the bathroom.

Tosh, Owen and Gwen made their various apologies to Jack that day, to his surprise, Donna's satisfaction and Ianto's expectation. As Torchwood resumed standard operations, Donna sat typing furiously at her assigned computer, shaking her head and marveling at how these people survived in life without her.


	5. Pain of Near Loss

**Chapter 5 Pain of Near Loss**

"Watch my lips, Welshman. I. DON'T. DO. CAMPING!" Donna's strident voice rang out around the Hub, as she stood facing Ianto, one hand on her hip and the other pointing at her mouth.

Ianto looked at her desperately, "But Donna, Jack said it was a team bonding trip and that we all had to go."

"I'm just the temp, so it doesn't include me. Besides, someone's got to stay behind and feed your menagerie of weirdness." Donna's arms were crossed and she radiated defiance, tilting her chin at Jack as he padded up behind Ianto.

"Donna doesn't have to come, if she doesn't want to, Yan." Jack said quietly. He looked disappointed though and pouted at Donna. "I just thought it would be nice to all get out in the countryside and away from the stress."

Donna quirked her eyebrow at him. "Just how do you envisage all of us fitting into one SUV, pretty boy? Gonna strap Owen to the roof rack?"

"I'm sure we'd all squeeze in, or we could take two cars. C'mon, Donna. Pretty please?" Jack was begging now, all teeth and dimples, his desire to have Donna along evident. He knew she'd become the glue of his team, keeping them from flying apart, and had been counting on her involvement. If she was there, they might all make it through the weekend without killing each other.

Looking into the pleading eyes of two of her favourite people, Donna felt her resolve weakening. Sighing and feeling quite put upon, she gave in with bad grace. Stomping towards the door, she shouted, "FINE! I'm going to pack! You pair feed the prehistoric parakeet. And I'm taking a separate car, so if it sucks I can go to a hotel. Text me the Satnav co-ordinates and I'll meet you all there."

Donna had arrived at the co-ordinates, only to find a ruined campsite. She felt worry welling up inside her immediately, as she snapped open her phone and dialled Ianto's number. Nothing. Breaking the connection, she tried Jack's number but before she could press the call button she was grabbed from behind.

"Oi! What the bloody hell do you think you're playing at? Mind your hands too!" Donna screamed in protest at her rough handling.

Her captor backhanded her and warned her to keep her mouth shut. Then she was marched overland for miles, before they came to a village. It was here that she walked into the seventh sphincter of hell, flanked by inbred mouth-breathers, and wishing miserably that she'd never conceded defeat and come on this trip. She felt even worse when she saw that Tosh, Gwen and Owen had also been captured. She looked around in a panic, before spinning towards what appeared to be the head lunatic, screaming, "WHERE'S IANTO?"

Ewan grinned, revealing green, rotting teeth, before going over to yank a body up from where it had been lying hidden. He pulled the sack off the head to reveal a badly beaten Ianto underneath, slapping his face he ordered, "Wake up, man." As Ianto came to, his face immediately showed his terror.

Looking up at Donna, Ewan continued as he held a cleaver to Ianto's throat, "Yeah. Time to be bled. Like veal, takes a long time but definitely makes the meat taste better." Ianto started making fearful noises through his gag.

Donna nearly exploded with fury. She pulled her arms from her captors' grip, stamping down on the instep of one and elbowing the other so hard she heard the pop of his nose breaking. Closing the gap between her and the target of her rage, she drove her fist into the maniacally grinning mouth, smashing teeth. But there were too many of them and she was recaptured, tied up and beaten for her trouble. Thrown against Ianto, he groaned and tried to shield her with his body as Ewan came forward wielding the meat cleaver again. Donna tried to use her shoulder to get him behind her, to protect him, but it was no use.

Donna's mind raced for a way to protect him as she heard Ianto whimper in terror. Suddenly, everyone was distracted by the sound of a motor and the vibration of everything in the room. Then, the world exploded and Jack was there firing shots into the villagers and roaring with anger. Donna thought she may actually pass out with sheer relief, before turning her attention to getting over to Ianto. His wide blue-grey eyes stared at her from his battered face, before he pressed his face into her lap, wanting to hide from the horror. Donna struggled with the ties on her wrists, needing to comfort him, finally managing to free her hand with only minimal skin loss. Running her hands over her distressed friend's head and shoulders, she untied him before sitting and waiting for the villagers to be secured.

Jack came over to squat beside them, his face a mask of cool detachment. Only his eyes showed how worried he was, as he asked her if they were alright. Turning to him, she said, "I hate camping, Jack. Next time you want to build team spirit, take us to a beach in Spain."

Ianto half laughed, half sobbed hysterically in her arms at her attempt at levity. Jack gave a brief chuckle as he helped them both to stand, giving them a hug each. Ianto clung to him, but Jack had to do his job, detaching him gently and handing him back to Donna. Donna took the traumatised boy outside where Owen gave them both the once over. After they'd been declared broken but fit enough to avoid hospitalisation, they sat side by side on the tailgate of a vehicle. Holding Ianto in her arms, she murmured comfort as she watched Jack stride across the scene, scanning for his team. Captain Jack Harkness. Hero. She smiled fondly at him, his coat flying out behind him like a superhero's cape. Bless.

Hours later, Donna and Jack helped Ianto up the stairs to their flat. Owen had volunteered to take Gwen and Tosh home, whilst Jack had driven the second car as Donna cowered in the back with Ianto clutched to her. Jack's driving was horrendous, dangerous and too fast. Once home, Donna helped Ianto bathe and change into clean, warm clothes, whilst Jack made tea. After Donna had showered and changed, Jack took his turn to clean up. Hugging each of them, she shooed them towards the bedroom as she walked wearily to her newly purchased sofabed. It had been her solution to the housing problem, as well as a flat warming present. Crawling under the duvet, she lay still, feeling each and every bruise and ache. Her whole body was shaking with shock and she felt vaguely nauseous. Ianto had been in the same condition, but he was with Jack which Donna knew always made him feel safe. Not for the first time, she wondered where the Doctor was and whether he was happy and had found someone to travel with him. Trying to find a position that was comfortable, Donna ended up sprawled in the centre of the bed with her hands behind her head. Concentrating on her breathing, she tried to relax enough to sleep.

She must have succeeded, because she woke with a start, momentarily panicking to find herself pinned down. After a moment, she realised with a chuckle that Ianto and Jack had crept into bed on either side of her. They lay curled into her, each with their head on one of her shoulders and an arm around her waist. Donna lowered her arms, carefully placing them around the boys' shoulders and then kissing them each on the head. Ianto murmured something in Welsh, whilst Jack just smiled and cuddled closer. Closing her eyes, Donna drifted back to sleep.

The next time Donna woke, she felt Jack shaking against her and clutching her pajama top. When she looked down, she saw he was crying silently. Stroking his hair, she murmured, "What's wrong, sweetheart? Bad dream?"

Jack gasped through his tears, "I nearly lost you all."

"Yeah, but you didn't. We're here, safe and relatively sound. You saved us. Thanks for that, by the way."

"I can't be alone again, Donna. I-I just couldn't take it..." Jack dissolved into fresh tears.

Donna held him, murmuring comfort until he calmed down again. Glancing at Ianto, she saw that a frown had appeared on his face, so took a moment to kiss his forehead and soothe him back to a deeper sleep. Then she whispered, "What's this about, Jack? Talk to me."

Jack struggled for a few minutes, before giving in to the need to talk. He told her about how he'd traveled with a Time Lord called the Doctor, told her about the Game Station and how he'd died and been left behind, waking up alone amongst the dead. He told her how he could die but couldn't stay dead, but didn't know why or how. He wound down, repeating a question that burned into her mind. "Why, Donna? What did I do that was so wrong that he abandoned me?"

Donna's mind reeled, as she gathered the distraught man closer to her side. Jack's Doctor had to be one and the same as her Doctor. If she'd gone with him, would he have abandoned her too? He'd mentioned losing someone called Rose, that she was alive but no longer with him. Had he left her somewhere too? It just didn't tally with the feeling she'd gotten from him. Even when he was at his most terrifying, down in the basements amid the fire and water, she'd still felt safe with him.

Hushing Jack and rubbing his arm, she said, "There now, Jack. I'm sure you didn't do anything wrong. Maybe he had to leave because it was dangerous and if he thought you were dead… There's no point in torturing yourself. You'll just have to hope you find him again someday and then ask him."

He nodded with a hitched breath and she started singing As Times Go By, knowing that the old hits soothed him best. It wasn't long before he drifted back to sleep, but Donna was to get no more rest that night. Ianto woke up with nightmares a couple of times, but soon settled after being cuddled and reassured. In between, Donna thought over what she knew of the Doctor and decided he must have his reasons for abandoning Jack. As she'd advised Jack, she'd just wait until she saw him again and ask him what they were. She really hoped she'd get to see him soon. Considering she'd only known him for a couple of hours, she really missed that crazy alien.

The next morning, she wiggled down to the foot of the bed, managing to get out without waking Jack or Ianto. Looking down at them, she chuckled quietly as she watched them roll towards each other and cuddle up. After using the bathroom, she went into the bedroom and closed the door. Flipping open her phone, she hit the speed dial and waited for it to connect.

"Hello Gramps? Yeah, it's me. No, nothing's wrong. Just a bit of a crap day…"


	6. Greeks Bearing Gifts

**Chapter 6 ****Read My Mind**

Ianto was having a bad week. He'd had his first serious fight with Donna a couple of days previously, which culminated in her taking off back to London to visit her family. He couldn't even remember how the fight had started, but it had ended with him accusing her of being a coward for not going with the Doctor and being jealous of his relationship with Jack. At this point, she'd slapped him resoundingly and her eyes had flashed pure fury. He had wanted to take the words back as soon as they were spoken, but he'd remained silent. He couldn't believe he'd said what he had, but he'd woken up in a foul mood and had taken it out on Donna. She'd turned her back on him and started packing furiously, muttering about ungrateful Welsh boys, before slamming the door of the flat as she left. As he stood in the deafening silence, a tear streaked down his face as he whispered, "Don't go."

Feeling miserable, he'd gotten ready afterwards and gone to work, hoping for some support from Jack. But Jack had been out all night on an unsuccessful Weevil hunt, where he'd been mauled so badly he'd died, so was seriously out of sorts. As a result, Ianto had ended up fighting with Jack too, after being interrogated as to the reason Donna had asked for a few days off so suddenly. Ianto hadn't wanted to tell him what he'd said to Donna and Jack had gotten huffy, locking himself in his office and generally giving Ianto the cold shoulder ever since. Ianto had considered calling Donna to apologise, but his self worth had plummeted after being rejected twice in one morning, so he didn't think she'd want to hear from him.

Ianto felt like he'd lost both his best friends and was flying without a parachute. He hadn't been without Donna's support for months and he found his coping mechanisms were compromised as a result. He'd stopped eating, when he'd thrown up after both his lunch and afternoon snack. He wasn't sleeping properly either, finding that his sleep was tormented by nightmares of cybermen and cannibals, and there was no-one there to comfort him. Owen, Gwen and Tosh didn't notice any difference, never paying much attention to him. He entered the Hub, going about his mindless tidying, as his misery threatened to consume him, he found himself thinking, 'Can't imagine the time when this isn't everything. Pain so constant, like my stomach's full of rats. Feels like this is all I am now. There isn't an inch of me that doesn't hurt.'

He stopped with his pile of dirty cups in his hands, noticing Toshiko staring at him with wide eyes. He asked, "I'm about to brew some of Jack's industrial strength coffee. Would you like a cup?"

She looked at him, with an oddly intense gaze, replying firmly, "I'm ... I'm fine. Thanks, Ianto."

He flashed her a smile and turned away to make Jack's coffee, perhaps he'd be in a better mood after coffee.

But he'd been met with a curt thank you from Jack when he took the coffee, dashing his small hope and causing his mood to sink lower. Ianto turned slowly and left the office, taking deep breaths in an effort to stave off tears. If only he'd looked back, he'd have a seen an equally miserable Jack gazing after him, clutching the coffee cup. But he was preoccupied with his own unhappiness and made his way to the archives.

Donna had gone to visit her mother and Gramps, but it hadn't been the respite she'd been hoping for when she left Cardiff. Her mother was feeling abandoned and showed it with sarcastic comments uttered with every waking breath. On the second night, Donna climbed the hill to where her Gramps was stargazing, seeking respite from the unrelenting disapproval. She sat beside him and brought him up to date on what was happening in her life, including the fight with Ianto.

"Have you spoken to him since?" Wilf asked, gazing into his telescope.

"No, I thought about calling him, but why should I? He was bang out of order with that comment. Let him stew for a while. It might make him appreciate me, if he's forced to go without good old Donna. Besides, it's not like he's rung me either. He's got Jack, so he'll be alright." She added defensively, sensing her Gramps wasn't happy with her.

"Are you willing to lose a friend just to prove you're right? Ianto's just a boy from the sound of it, and you my girl should know better. What about your job too?"

Donna had been feeling guilty about walking out on Ianto, knowing he still wasn't very strong, but this conversation with her Gramps was making it worse. Sighing, she replied, "Why should I always be the one to give in, Gramps? I've spent my whole life giving in to Mum. He was wrong to say what he did, so he should apologise to me. As for my job, Jack gave me the time off. He's pleased with the progress we've made on the archives. In fact, it will be mostly done soon."

"Well, sweetheart, you do what you think is best." Patting her knee, her Gramps gave her a smile that made her feel about 10 years old again.

Gazing up at the heavens, she found herself wishing to see a blue policebox streaking towards her. Shaking her head and smiling ruefully, she turned to her grandfather. "Fine, you win. I'll head back to Cardiff tomorrow and make it up with Ianto. I don't like being on bad terms with him anyway." She grinned when she noticed her Gramps was now giving her the look he reserved especially for her. A look that told her how special he thought she was, how proud she made him and how much he loved her. It was a look that had sustained her through many difficult moments in her life and she cherished it every time.

The next afternoon, she walked into the Hub looking around for Ianto. Owen and Gwen were sitting and flirting with each other. Donna didn't know who they thought they were fooling and felt sorry for Rhys, despite never having met him. She walked to Ianto's coffee station, moving towards Tosh. Tosh looked up at her as she approached, smiling nervously. Donna noticed she was wearing a new pendant and wondered where she got it. It was lovely and she wouldn't mind one herself. She felt a slight crawling sensation whisper around her head, and rubbed at her temples. The constant screaming of the child on the train from London must be leading to a headache.

"Tosh, have you seen Ianto?"

Tosh looked unnerved, "I think I saw him heading down to the archives. I thought you had the rest of the week off, Donna."

"What can I say, Tosh. I missed you all too much." Flashing her a grin, Donna headed towards the archives. On the way, she glanced into Jack's office and diverted her course when she saw him sitting with his head in his hands. "What's wrong with you, pretty boy? Got a headache too?"

"Donna? What are you doing back? I thought I gave you the week off?" Jack looked up and started shuffling papers, trying to look in control.

The effort wasn't lost on Donna, who walked around behind him and put her hands on his shoulders, kneaded the tense muscles. He groaned and leaned back into her hands. "What's been happening around here to make you so tense, Jack? End of the world as we know it, again?"

"Feels like it." Jack was happy that Donna had returned early. "I had a fight with Yan, a couple of days ago, and neither of us has been willing to give in."

Donna suddenly felt uneasy and stopped her massage to come around and sit on the desk, facing him. "You mean, you've not been talking to him?"

"Nothing more than civilities. I hate it, Donna, but I've been in such a foul mood and he's been hiding down in the archives most of the time anyway."

Standing, Donna absent-mindedly patted Jack on the shoulder, muttering, "I'm going to find him. I suspect he's had a crappy couple of days too, given that I wasn't talking to him either. Come over to dinner tonight, yeah? You can make it up with him then." She left after Jack's expression flushed guiltily and he nodded.

It took Donna at least 15 minutes to find Ianto in the archives, and when she did, she was immensely happy that her Gramps had convinced her to come home early. Ianto had slumped down in a sad little heap, his head on his knees, as though someone had cut his strings. His shoulders were quaking as he sobbed silently. Walking over to him, Donna sat down on the floor crosslegged and gathered him into her arms. He let out a yelp like a trod on dog in his surprise, then threw his arms around her and burrowed in, almost crawling into her lap.

"Donna, you came back. I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it. I'm so sorry. I missed you so much…" He burst into tears again, his relief at having her back overwhelming him.

Rocking him and rubbing his back, Donna waited for him to calm down before asking, "Life sucked beyond the telling of it, the past couple of days, huh Welshman? Jack said that he'd been giving you a hard time too. I'm sorry about our fight and for slapping you." She paused as she kissed the top of his head, before continuing, "And for walking out on you and letting you think you were all alone. You're not, you know. Even if I'm not here, I'm only a phone call away. Even if I'm mad at you, doesn't mean I've stopped loving you either, you silly boy."

Ianto sniffed. "Everything hurt so much, Donna. I thought I was alright, but I'm only alright when you and Jack are with me. And god, could I sound more pathetic?"

Snorting with laughter, Donna hugged him tighter, "You do sound a bit like a country music song, but I know what you mean." She sobered before saying, "You need to talk more to us, Yan. Stop keeping everything inside, or it will eat you up. Now come on, let's finish up here so we can go home. Jack's coming over for dinner so we'd better leave a bit early and get some food in the flat."

Jack and Toshiko were sitting on a bench, discussing the merits of keeping the telepathy pendant. Jack had left the decision to Tosh and she'd decided to destroy it, crushing it under her boot heel, much to Jack's relief.

Turning to Jack, Tosh asked him the question she'd been burning to ask, "Why couldn't I read your mind?"

Looking back at her, Jack tried to laugh it off. "I don't know. Though I could feel you scrabbling around in there."

Tosh continued, oblivious to his discomfort, "I got nothing. It's like you were ... I don't know ... dead.

Hearing himself described as dead, Jack's mask slipped, along with his trademark grin. But the shock of what Tosh says next is even greater.

"I could hear Gwen, Owen and Ianto, but you and Donna were just …blank."

"You couldn't hear Donna's thoughts either?" Jack was surprised by that news. He'd had extensive training to learn to shield his thoughts, but how could Donna?

"No, nothing. She rubbed her temples when I tried and she looked uncomfortable, but I didn't hear anything." Tosh looked genuinely puzzled.

Jack was vaguely uneasy too, but changed the subject back to work, not wanting Tosh to start dissecting his fiery friend. Donna wouldn't take kindly to becoming a test subject in one of Tosh's projects. He spent a few more minutes, comforting Tosh before stalking off into the night. He had a dinner and friends waiting for him and lost time to make up.


	7. The Real Jack Harkness?

**Chapter 7 ****Will the Real Jack Harkness, Please Stand Up?**

Donna had taken a couple of days off to go to London, since her mother had been unwell and had requested a visit. Coming back to the Hub, instead of the flat as she'd been requested to by Ianto via a mobile phone call whilst on the train back, she was almost flattened by Ianto throwing himself on her. His voice muffled by her shoulder as he pressed into her, he blurted, "I shot Owen."

Patting his back, Donna smiled and replied calmly, "Well, someone was bound to eventually. Is he alright?"

Ianto laughed and stood back from her. Nodding, he filled her in briefly on the events of the day. "Jack looked like he'd seen a ghost when he got back. I don't think he'll ask, but he should come back to ours tonight."

Nodding, she told him to get ready to go whilst she went and got Jack.

Donna stopped on the way to inspect Owen's shoulder, noting the position of the entry and exit wounds. Shaking her head and putting her hands on her hips, she exclaimed, "Can't leave you people alone for five minutes, without you falling into different eras or shooting each other. Good thing Ianto's an excellent shot, huh, Owen?"

Owen grumbled and let her help him do up his shirt. He looked even paler than usual and his hands were shaking.

Donna called to Tosh as she exited Jack's office, "Tosh, can you take Owen home on your way to your party? I don't think he should drive after being shot."

"Of course. Um. You and Ianto may want to … well, I know that you three sometimes, um, socialise… it's just that he may need you after… " Tosh stumbled to articulate her concern without divulging Jack's secrets.

Moving to put her hand on Tosh's arm, Donna looked at her with fondness. "It's okay, Tosh. We'll look after Jack. Ianto noticed he looked upset when he got back. You go and enjoy your party. It's not everyday your grandfather turns 88." Smiling, she rubbed Tosh's arm before squeezing it and turning towards Jack's office.

"Jack?"

Jack sat on the edge of his desk, his brandy tumbler empty in his slightly shaking hand. His shoulders were hunched and Donna caught sight of tears, before Jack hastily brushed them away as his rose to turn away from her. "What is it, Donna?"

"Time to go home, Jack."

"Oh. Right. Well, goodnight then. I'll see you in the morning." He tried to keep his voice light, but failed miserably. "Is..is Ianto still here?"

Donna moved forward, putting her arms around his waist and leaning her head on the back of his shoulder. "I meant, it's time for you, me and Ianto to go home together, you prawn. We're not leaving you here alone in this state. Now come on, Ianto's waiting." Moving away, she took his hand and led him out to where Ianto stood, holding Jack's coat.

Jack had been uncharacteristically quiet all night, but Ianto and Donna let him be. Once they were all settled on the couch, after dinner, Donna turned to him and took his hand. Ianto did the same on the other side.

"Jack," Donna noted how he seemed to be flinching whenever she used his name, "Sweetheart, tell us what happened today."

Shaking his head, Jack squeezed their hands. "Can't."

Exchanging a look with Ianto, she fished into her handbag which she'd dumped beside the couch on arrival. Withdrawing some printouts, she started speaking softly, "I'm a curious person, me. And it's funny what you come across when you're organising an archive. There's a whole filing cabinet down there with your name on it, Jack. Captain Jack Harkness, 133rd Squadron, didn't report for duty or killed in action January 21st 1941, depending on which version of the records you believe. Funny thing is, I found this photo, " Donna paused and handed Jack one of the printouts, "and whilst it claims to be Captain Jack Harkness, it doesn't look like you."

Jack held the printout, running his fingers over the face of the man in the photo, tears running unchecked down his cheeks. "What do you want to hear, Donna?"

Donna sighed, running her hand over Jack's hair before sliding her arm around his shoulders. "I want to hear the truth about what happened today. We know that you were pulled into a dancehall in 1941, what happened whilst you were there?"

Silence met her request, as Jack continued to gaze at the photo. Ianto looked at Donna and she saw tears in his eyes too.

"You know what I think happened? I think you met Captain Jack Harkness, the man whose identity you've been using since 1941. I think you took a liking to the man, maybe even snogged him, and now you're struggling with the fact that you've lost someone you hardly knew and you feel guilty and confused and lost. You don't want to tell us what happened, 'cos you're afraid that Ianto will be hurt and I'll be angry. You think that if you tell us that you've lied about your name that we'll be betrayed and feel like we don't know you anymore. Does that just about sum it up, pretty boy?"

Jack nodded, still unable to make eye contact, as a sob wrenched free from his chest. "I was a conman. I assumed his name, falsified records.. I took a good man's name and sullied it. Is that what you want to hear? The real Captain Jack Harkness was a hero, a brave and beautiful man who died in battle. He died the day after I met him and I couldn't save him. I didn't want you to know what I was, didn't want you to h-hate me, l-leave me alone again…" He broke off, choking on his sobs.

She pulled him into her arms, Ianto followed and draped himself over Jack's back, so Jack was sandwiched between them. "Well, then, you're an idiot. It doesn't matter what we've been, it's who we are now that counts. Besides, Captain Jack Harkness - hero and saviour of Earth - may be what you are. But Yan and I know who you are, which is more important. You're our mate and we love you because you're a good man with a kind heart, irrespective of what you call yourself." She paused before adding fondly, "You big dumbo."

After Jack had exhausted himself, crying for the loss of the original Jack and the relief of knowing his friends loved him regardless of his past, they changed and cuddled up together in the bed. Donna had tried to leave and go to her own bed, but Jack had made an inarticulate noise of distress and clutched her hand. So they spent the night together, Ianto and Donna on either side of their Captain, providing respite and shelter from a cruel world.

The next day, Donna grilled Tosh on what it had been like at the dance. She loved the songs of that era and used to dance with her Gramps to them. She was explaining this to Ianto and Tosh, when she decided that a display was more effective. She got Tosh to play "Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree" over the speakers and grabbed Ianto, trying to teach him some simple dance steps. Jack, Gwen and Owen appeared and stood watching the fun.

"Oh for pete's sake, Jack come over here and help me show them." Donna called to him, exasperated with Ianto's self consciousness.

Laughing, Jack happily obliged and they blurred into motion, Donna's red hair flying. Soon Ianto and Gwen were dancing, as were Tosh and Owen, albeit with a little more decorum and a lot less flair. Myfanwy shrieked as she circled overhead, dancing in her own way. When the song ended, they collapsed in laughing heaps in various chairs and against worktops.

Donna leaned over and whispered in Jack's ear, "Hold onto the good times, sweetheart." Kissing him on the cheek, she moved off to the archives just as the Weevil alarm went off.


	8. Now You See Him, Now You Don't

**Chapter 8 ****Now You See Him, Now You Don't**

Donna had been dreaming of the Doctor every night and waking every morning with the feeling that her time at Torchwood was nearly over. She'd been talking to Ianto, easing him into accepting that he didn't need her there anymore. He didn't either, now that he'd become more integrated into the team. Donna had hoped that Jack would be more solid in his relationship with Ianto by the time she left, but maybe that would come once she wasn't there. They both tended to rely on her, rather than each other. Many nights still saw Jack, Ianto or both creeping into her bed for a cuddle after having had a nightmare. She felt like Wendy from Peter Pan, with her lost boys. No prizes for guessing who was Peter.

The world outside was going mad as usual, with people falling through cracks in time, so Donna had retreated to the serenity of the archives. She'd been called to the cells by Ianto at one point, to talk to a Roman soldier for him, as he knew she'd studied Latin - amongst other languages. One of her many skills as a temp was being multilingual and she loved learning new languages and about the cultures that spoke them. She'd always planned on traveling, but never seemed to get around to it. After she'd placated the soldier, telling him it was all a dream and that he'd wake up soon, she turned to her friend who was obviously perturbed. He'd confided to her that he'd seen Lisa in the vaults. He knew it was some sort of trick, but it had rattled him into needing a hug. Afterwards, they'd gone on with their duties and she'd returned to the archives.

She was just finishing up, when she heard screaming from the medbay. Following the noise, she pulled up short at the sight of a bloodied corpse on the table. Gwen was beating at Jack's chest, screaming for him to bring back the person. Donna made the connection and realised that the corpse was Gwen's boyfriend, Rhys. Ianto and Tosh were on the stairs, hunched into themselves, neither comfortable with displays of emotion. The raw grief spewing from Gwen was enough to unsettle anyone, thought Donna. She was about to move forward to help Jack with her, when she was distracted by the arrival of Owen. He pushed past her to get to Gwen, not noticing as Tosh's face lit up and she exclaimed, "You came back!"

Donna murmured, "He went somewhere? Where have I been?"

Gwen pushed Owen away, shrieking in a voice made hoarse by crying and screaming, "Don't touch me!"

Owen glared at Jack, asking him, "How many other people have to suffer?"

Getting no response from Jack, he declared, "I'm going to fix this. I'm opening the rift." Turning he ran up the stairs.

Ianto followed him, so Jack called after him, "Make sure you stop him."

"No." Ianto followed Owen, brushing past a clearly gob-smacked Donna. Tosh and Gwen also ran past her, shouting remarks about opening the rift to Jack. Jack shouted after Gwen, before fixing his eyes on Donna.

Donna turned to find Jack watching her, so uttered the only thing she could think of, "What the bloody hell is going on, pretty boy? The peasants are revolting!"

Jack picked up his pistol and ran up the stairs, without answering her. Donna was pretty sure she didn't want to follow him, so walked down to the dead man. Putting her hand on his forehead, she mumbled, "You're better off out of this madness, mate."

She stayed where she was, listening to Jack pleading with his team before pulling his firearm and threatening them with it. She cringed as she heard him taunt them, looked up to see Gwen punch him to floor, watching as Owen grabbed his dropped firearm, heard the final taunt and looked down, before finally hearing gunshots. It was at this point, she sprinted up to the Hub. She saw Jack sprawled on the floor, dead from multiple gunshots. She shouted, "What have you done?"

Owen just looked at her, "I'm sick of people doubting me."

Ianto sank to his knees, near Jack's head, echoing Donna, "What have you done?"

Donna moved to sit beside Jack and pulled him into her arms. She knew he'd come back and she didn't want him resurrecting on a cold surface, alone and afraid. It was bad enough that his team had gone mad, without that as well. She couldn't even look at Ianto, or the others, she just sat and rocked with Jack in her arms.

She hardly noticed as they went about the technicalities of initiating emergency protocol one. But she did growl at Owen as he came to take Jack's retinal scan, making him jump nervously. As claxons blared and lights pulsed, Donna felt Jack start to stir. With a huge gasping intake of breath, Jack came back to life, reaching out to grab Donna's arm with one hand and grasping Gwen's leg with the other. His team jumped, exclaiming in horror and spun around to look at him in amazement and fear, as he unconsciously parroted her and Ianto's response to his death. "What have you done?"

Donna hauled Jack to his feet, calling for Ianto to help her. They all make a mad dash to get out of the Hub as it threatens to fall down around them, Donna and Ianto supporting Jack as he stumbled between them. Ianto maintained the presence of mind to grab Jack's greatcoat on the way out, Donna was vaguely amused to note. Coming to the surface, they were confronted with Bilas Manger, who heralded the arrival of Abaddon, the Great Devourer.

They all turned to see an immense beast, stomping and growling towards the city. Donna muttered dryly, "Well, isn't this wizard."

Jack had saved the Earth, again. He'd force fed his life force to Abaddon until he'd choked on it. Gwen had brought his body back to the Hub. Despite seeing him resurrect, Owen had declared him dead and was all for putting him in cryostasis. Tosh and Ianto seemed willing to go along with him, but Gwen and Donna refused to let him. They sat with him for 2 days, spelling each other for bathroom breaks and when Donna checked on Ianto.

One of the times Donna had gone looking for Ianto, she found him crumpled against a wall in Jack's office, sobbing into his greatcoat. Moving forward to fold him into her embrace, she'd whispered, "Yan, he'll come back. This wasn't an ordinary death, it will take him longer to revive, but he will come back."

Eventually, he'd regained his composure and she'd asked him to bring her and Gwen some tea. Not really wanting the beverage, but wanting to give the boy something to do.

Returning to the morgue, she heard Tosh telling Gwen to let Jack go and Gwen's response that she believed in Jack. Then Gwen kissed him and walked towards Donna, but they both heard Jack's quiet, "Thank you."

Running back to either side of him, they saw him smile up at them. Smacking him on the arm, Donna yelled, "Don't do that to me! Not ever again you hear me, pretty boy! We've been worried sick!" Then she reached down and grabbed him to her in a hug, squeezing him as though she'd never let go.

Gwen and Donna helped Jack get dressed, before taking him up to the others. After he'd hugged Tosh, then hugged and kissed Ianto, he forgave Owen and held him as Owen cried. Donna moved to stand beside Ianto, her arm around his waist and her head on his shoulder, smiling that the team were back together.

When Donna, Ianto, Gwen and Tosh came back with the coffees, they saw Gwen standing in the Hub. It didn't take long to find out that Jack was gone. When Gwen described the noise she'd heard, along with the wind that had blown everything around, Donna knew where he'd gone and breathed, "The Doctor."


	9. Unyielding

**Chapter 9 ****Unyielding**

The Master was feeling particularly smug. He'd taken over the Valiant, subjugated the people of Earth, and gained a new pair of toys in Jack Harkness and the Doctor. He'd been delighted to find that Jack could be killed repeatedly and had been expanding his already quite considerable knowledge of torture ever since. Of course, there was the down times when Jack was actually dead. But these could be filled in tormenting his old friend, the Doctor, with his most sadistic physical, sexual and psychological tricks. He's been tracking down all the humans still alive who the Doctor and Jack held close to their hearts. He delved into their minds, taking the knowledge he wanted by force regardless of their ineffectual shields.

Once captured, the humans were used to break his toys even further. He had them tortured until they screamed and begged for Jack or the Doctor to save them. The Master knew just how devastating they found these pleas, knew the heroes couldn't bear to stand idly by when there were wrongs to right. There weren't that many of their friends left to find, but the missing seemed to be the dearest to his pets – Ianto Jones, Martha Jones and Donna Noble. The Master found it incredibly frustrating that neither himself nor his minions had been unable to find these three.

The Doctor was in his cage, aged, weak, malnourished and dehydrated, dully watching the Master as he received word from one of his underlings. The Master grinned jubilantly and shouted for Jack to be brought to him, making the Doctor cringe for his old friend. If all the Master wanted was to torture and/or kill Jack, he did it below decks to avoid messing up his bridge. No, if Jack was being brought to the bridge, it was because another one of his friends had been found. As far as he knew, there were only two left to find. Ianto and Donna. The Doctor had never met Ianto, but he couldn't help remembering the feisty redhead from their brief adventure. Oh, how he hoped he wouldn't have to watch her murdered like all his other friends. He knew that the Master was particularly interested in finding Donna as she knew both the Doctor and Jack, so it was double the pain when he killed her.

Jack was dragged by his chains onto the bridge and fastened to the wall. He was trying to project his usual bravado, but the Doctor could see his fear for whichever of his friends had been found. His worse fears were confirmed when both Donna and Ianto were pushed into the room.

Ianto was maintaining his "invisible butler" persona, calmly doing what was asked of him. He'd regained his emotional equilibrium with Donna and Jack's support, maintaining it when Jack disappeared. He'd become an integral part of the team at Torchwood, since Jack's abrupt departure, steadying the others. His professional demeanor didn't match with his dishevelment, or the bruises on his face, and the Doctor could almost smell his carefully hidden terror.

"Oi! Neanderthal boy, leave your knuckles on the ground and keep your mitts off me!" Donna shoved back at Gorman, the thug assigned to terrorising the Master's "guests", with her shoulder. He backhanded her, splitting her lip, adding to the other damage. It was obvious from their injuries that neither of them had come quietly. Both Jack and the Doctor felt a quiet swell of pride mingle with their fear.

The Master walked up to his new acquisitions, observing them both curiously, before turning to Donna. "You must be Donna Noble. I've heard a lot about you."

"Well, bully for you. I've heard lots about you too, and none of it good." She threw her shoulders back, refusing to be cowed by her captor. "You'll forgive me for not shaking your hand, but mine are currently tied behind my back."

"Sorry about that, but I've been warned that you're a bit slap happy. Don't want to take any chances, do we?"

Donna's eyes widened innocently. "But I wouldn't slap you."

The Master smirked, sure that he could control her, "No?"

"Nah. Shit splatters." Shrugging, Donna assumed a look of indifference.

Jack chuckled quietly, thinking, "That's my girl."

Fury darkened the Master's features at her insolence. He reached towards the contact points on the side of her face. Just as his hand was about to touch her, sparks flew and he snatched his hands back. "What?"

The Doctor echoed the cry, drawing Donna's attention. "Doctor? What the hell has he done to you?" She shouldered the Master out of the way and ran to the cage.

The Doctor put his withered hand out through the bars and stroked her hair, the colour the only vibrant thing in his world of pain. "I'm so sorry, Donna."

Yanking her away from the Doctor, Gorman dragged her back to where Ianto stood staring at Jack. Donna turned that way and saw how Jack had been chained, his body filthy and his clothes torn and stained.

"What sort of sadistic monster are you?" Fury rolled off Donna in waves, as she struggled against Gorman, trying to get to Jack.

Moving to stand close to her, the Master smiled and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "A very successful one."

Two days after she'd been captured, Donna attempted a rescue. Waiting until the guards had been for their final "bed check", she sprung herself from her cell. Moving along the row, she found Ianto, then Jack, opening each of their doors with a gesture for them to be silent and follow her.

Jack stared at the sonic pen in her hand. "Where've you been hiding that?"

"You don't want to know…" Donna muttered, before chuckling, "Actually, knowing you, you probably do want to know but now's neither the time nor place. C'mon."

Grabbing his hand, she motioned for him to take Ianto's and moved further into the shadows. Leaning in, she hissed in his ear, "Do you know the way to where the Doctor's kept?"

"Yeah, follow me."

Stealthily, they made their way up to the lion's den. The Doctor was displayed in the cage on the bridge during the day, but at night he was entertainment for the Master.

"How the hell are we going to get him out of the Master's room, with him in there, Jack? Time Lords don't sleep that much, do they? That's what the Doctor's Torchwood/Unit file says." Donna had gotten them out of the cells, as far as she was concerned, it was Jack's turn to come up with something brilliant now.

Just as Jack opened his mouth to answer her, another voice chimed in, "Now what are all you children doing out of your beds at this time of night? Perhaps you'd better come in."

Groaning in frustration at being caught, Donna was forced to relinquish her sonic pen. The Master seemed delighted with her ingenuity, making lewd comments on her hiding place.

That night was the first night of many, where Ianto and Donna added rape to their lists of abuse. The Master's wife Lucy forcing the Doctor to watch, as the Master forced himself on first Ianto, then Donna. Gorman held Donna as Ianto was violated and she could feel his arousal against her as she struggled to get to Ianto, who was screaming for her to help him. When the Master was finished with Ianto, he grabbed Donna by the hair, grunting as she attempted to knee him in the groin. Donna lay still and quiet as he raped her, refusing to add to his sick pleasure by struggling or screaming. He again tried to attack her mind, but was once more forced back by her shields. Slapping her, he screamed at her to lower her shields, but she remained stonily silent. Infuriated beyond reason by her passiveness as he raped her, then her refusal to obey him, the Master knocked her to the ground before kicking her repeatedly. Ianto and the Doctor screamed at him to stop, which merely caused him to switch his attentions to Ianto. Donna stood shakily, unnoticed by anyone and pulled the Master off her friend, punching him hard enough to fell a man. Sadly, it wasn't hard enough to fell a Time Lord. The Master hit her back and she fell into darkness.

Donna and Ianto were thrown into their separate cells downstairs afterwards. Every day, they were taken out independently and tortured for hours on end by Gorman and his thugs, before being thrown back into their cells. They were starved, beaten, deprived of water, light and basic sanitation, they were taunted and belittled and subjected to all manner of depravity.

The Master used his telepathy on Ianto, making him scream and beg for mercy. He discovered Ianto's natural empathic abilities and delighted in torturing Jack near him to cause them both more pain. But whenever the Master tried to use his mind on Donna, it had no effect on her at all. He forced the Doctor to try to get around her shields, but the Doctor was a weaker telepath, never having developed it as a weapon like the Master. Nothing that was done to her, or to Jack, Ianto or the Doctor as inducement, could make her shields drop. As she pointed out, time and again, she hadn't consciously erected the shields, so how was she supposed to know how to drop them. This above all else, infuriated the Master. He wasn't used to being defied, nor was he accustomed to having his way thwarted.

Donna was dragged to the bridge on more than one occasion, where she was whipped, beaten and sexually abused by Gorman or the Master, all the while being urged to scream for the Doctor to save her, as her fellow companions had. Every time her answer was the same: "How can I expect him to save me? He's as helpless as I am. No. I will not yield."

As the weeks progressed, Donna always tried to draw the attention to herself and away from Ianto, but it wasn't long before the inevitable.

A month after their capture, she was woken by the sound of the door of her cell opening, the Master appearing. Donna schooled her features into their usual mask of defiance, even as her soul quivered with fear. She'd been raped, beaten and abused so many times now that she'd forgotten what it was like to feel human. The only defense left to her was her shell of bravado, as it seemed to amuse him almost as much as it frustrated him. So she prepared herself to entertain him yet again.

The Master had something else in mind however. Grinning maniacally, he gestured to someone behind him telling her, "I can be kind, Donna Noble. I'm granting Ianto's last wish. He wanted to see you and Jack before he died. You first…" With that, Ianto was thrown into the cell with her and the Master left, laughing.

Donna hurried to Ianto as fast as her broken body would take her, gathering him into her arms. Looking at him in the dim light, he resembled nothing so much as a walking corpse, his features gaunt and almost unrecognisable. His eyes, once so beautiful, were dull and struggled to focus on her. She ran her hand over his face, making him flinch until he realised she wasn't hurting him. Turning his face into her chest, he whispered her name.

"Yes, cariad. It's me. I've got you." She murmured further endearments and reassurances in his native Welsh, thinking he'd find it more comforting. She projected feelings of love, comfort and safety, knowing that he'd feel them.

"Donna. Thank. You. Love. You." Ianto's words came haltingly between shallow, panting breaths which rattled in his chest. "Tell. Jack. Sorry. Love. Him."

"I love you too, cariad." Tears streamed down her face, as she realised that Ianto had lost the fight for his life. He wouldn't get to see Jack. She screamed her pain and loss, rocking as she clutched her friend's body to her own.

Jack heard her from his cell and screamed along with her, knowing that Ianto or the Doctor's death was the only thing that would make Donna break like that.

"How touching. Well, better take him to the freak now. I did promise that I'd take him to you both." The Master leaned nonchalantly on the door frame.

Donna was heartbroken. She sat, helpless as Gorman came in and took Ianto's body from her, whispering, "At least you can't hurt him anymore."

"No. Pity. He was so much more pliable than you are. But still. Bright side is that I still have you." Donna shuddered at the lecherous tone.

Minutes later, she jumped as a shot rang out. Jack had obviously tried to kill the Master, when confronted with Ianto's body. She heard the Master telling Jack's corpse, "Ah, ah, ah! Is that anyway to behave when all I've done is bring you a friend? We'll leave him here for you when you wake up."

Gesturing to Gorman, he ordered, "Lay the freak and his boy out on the floor in an embrace."

They left, laughing cruelly. It wasn't long 'til Donna heard Jack's scream of denial, before she heard heartbroken sobbing and Ianto's name being moaned over and over. Curling herself into as small a ball as possible, Donna cried for the loss of her friend.

Five months after her capture, Donna was dragged up to the bridge. The Doctor moaned softly in despair, as he saw her. Jack rattled in his chains, fighting to get to Donna and help her. Her glorious mane of red hair was unkempt and lank, hanging over her face and hiding it from prying eyes. Her clothes were mere rags, barely covering her modesty, and she was practically skeletal. She was covered in welts, burns, scars and lacerations from various torture sessions. As she was forced to walk forward, she walked with a discernible limp as she dragged her left foot, and she held herself in a manner that indicated broken ribs and possible internal injuries. She stumbled to a halt in front of the Master and was knocked to her knees by the thug who'd brought her in. The Master looked down at her with undisguised disgust, before squatting down in front of her and trying to shift her matted hair so he could see her face.

"Have you broken her thoroughly?" He looked up at his henchman.

"She took a lot longer than any of the others, but yeah, she's broken." Gorman looked obscenely proud of his work.

Straightening, the Master slapped Donna, ordering, "Look at your Master!"

A shudder ran through her, but she threw back her hair in a gesture of defiance, fixing her clearly sightless eyes in the direction of the hated voice. In a voice that was hoarse from screaming, she spat, "That's gonna be a bit difficult, you git."

Even the Master was taken aback at the strength of venom in the voice that came from the ruined husk of woman in front of him. The Doctor sobbed and Jack gagged. Donna had had most of her teeth pulled forcibly, or knocked out, her lips ragged from multiple cuts. One side of her face was covered in barely healed burn scars and the other half was covered in bruises and blood. Both her eyes showed milky white only.

Donna cackled when she heard the Master's shocked hiss, as he took in the damage to her face. "What's the matter, lover? Don't fancy me anymore?"

Shaking his head in unwilling awe, he whispered, "Still you defy me? All you have to do to stop the pain is lower your mental shields and yield to me. I promise you a merciful death, if you do."

Slowly, a sound emerged from Donna's chest which grew into full fledged laughter. As the laughter was suddenly overtaken by coughing, Donna spat bright red blood onto the floor at the Master's feet. "I'm already dead, Time Lord. AND I WILL NEVER YIELD!" Her voice rang around the bridge, following by silence broken only by the sobbing breath of the Doctor and Jack.

Tilting her head towards the sound, she said softly, "Goodbye, boys. Sorry I couldn't save you. Remember I'll love you both, always."

Another fit of wet coughing overtook her, before she slumped to the floor with a last gurgling sigh, her strength of spirit finally overcome by the damage to her body.


	10. Nightmares Are Sometimes Real

**Chapter 10 ****Nightmares and Dreams**

Donna had had the most horrendous nightmare a couple of nights past, racing into Ianto's bed and waking him as she threw herself on him, desperate to reassure herself that he was alive. She'd dreamt that they were on a huge spaceship, hovering over Earth, and had been tortured horrendously before being killed. Feeling a bit like a very dark version of Dorothy, she recounted her dream, saying, "You were there, and Jack and the Doctor.." Then she burst into wracking sobs, clinging to Ianto, in a complete role reversal. He'd soothed her, telling her that it had only been a nightmare and that she was safe with him. Eventually, she'd stopped crying but had lain awake and trembling in Ianto's arms for the rest of the night. She'd been afraid to close her eyes as every time she did, she saw Ianto lying dead in her arms.

She'd had the same dream every night since. She'd started sleeping in Ianto's bed, seeking the comfort he gladly gave. Donna had been trying to fortify Ianto, nurturing the sense of independence he'd been building since Jack's disappearance. Withdrawing her support slowly, so that when she left he wouldn't collapse. They'd managed to achieve a new kind of friendship, close and loving, but not reliant. They each knew they'd move heaven and earth to help each other, but didn't need to constantly be in each other's company. They felt like family. Now, he was her support, which gave him more confidence than she'd ever seen in him.

Donna currently sat behind Jack's desk trying to clear it of the paperwork that had built up. She didn't do field trips, even now that Jack was gone and they were a man down. Her fellow team members were a touch too gun happy for her taste. She preferred to talk her way out of trouble and if that failed, a well placed slap usually sufficed. So she chose to stay in the Hub and perform some of the tasks that Ianto now pushed aside in favour of fieldtrips. Whilst they were all off chasing pufferfish…things, she stayed in.

Eventually, they came back with a dead pufferfish…thing and JACK! Donna was actually frozen with the joy she felt at seeing him whole and healthy, instead of thin, filthy and manacled, which is how she saw him in her nightmares. She saw him stop and scan the Hub with an anxious look, until he caught sight of her in the doorway to his office, then his face lit up in the biggest grin she thought she'd ever seen. He started running towards her, and she rushed to meet him halfway.

"DONNA!' He threw his arms around her, lifting her from the ground and swinging her around, before kissing her lingeringly on the lips.

Donna broke the kiss first. Breathlessly, she laughed and swatted his arm, "Oi, that's enough of that, pretty boy."

He brushed his fingers through her hair, vibrant and silky, so different to how he last remembered seeing it. Gazing into her sparkling, clear blue eyes, he felt tears well in his own, as memories of the year that never was threatened to overwhelm him.

She put her hand up to his cheek, seeing the new pain in his eyes, softly asking, "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

He blinked, releasing a tear, which Donna brushed away with her thumb. Then he buried his face in her neck, muttering, "I just missed you. And you're the only one who's happy I'm back."

"Oh rubbish, Jack. Everyone's happy to see you back, but you abandoned them so they're hurt. You'll have to work to get their trust back."

Jack sniffled, "Yours too?"

"Nah. I understand the lure of the Doctor's siren song. It makes everything and everyone else pale into insignificance, when you're with him. It's hard to turn your back on the adventure."

"You did it."

"Mm, and I've regretted it every since. I mean, it allowed me to spend time with my Dad before he died, and be there for my Mum and then for Ianto and I'm thankful for that. But I've still missed him everyday. Crazy, considering I only knew the skinny streak of alien for a day." She chuckled and went to let Jack go. "So, why're you back, Jack? The Doctor hasn't ditched you again, has he?"

Jack had tightened his grip on her, refusing to be released from her embrace. His breath hitched at her question of why he had returned, but he remained silent.

Donna rubbed his back thoughtfully, feeling an unpleasant prickling sensation crawling over her. Seeing how upset he was and how he seemed to be as relieved to see her as she was to see him, she was beginning to wonder if her dream had really been a dream. Cautiously she said, "Valiant?"

Jack reacted as though electrified, leaping away from her with a look of complete terror on his face. Donna brought her hands up to cover her mouth, gasping, "Oh my god, it wasn't a dream. That really happened? Oh god, Jack, you poor, poor man."

"But.. but… how? We reversed the year. No-one was supposed to remember." Jack's whole body was shuddering with the reaction, before he turned and ran to his office with Donna in pursuit.

He stopped behind his desk, turning to face her but still shaking. "You can't know, Donna. You died before the paradox was reversed. How can you still remember?"

Moving forward, hands held out to her side like she was approaching a wild creature, she spoke in low, even tones, "I don't know how I know. I dream about it every night. Well, I thought it was a dream, but apparently it wasn't. Easy now, Jack." She put her hand on his arm.

"What are you?" He wrenched his arm out of her grasp.

"Insulted, actually. What do you mean, what am I? I'm human like you, well, not like you, but like most humans." She smacked him on the arm, "Stop being an idiot."

He looked at her properly, before putting his hands over his face and whimpering, "I'm sorry, it's been a long year." He melted into her warm, familiar arms, as they were placed around him, squeezing her to him. "You died, Donna. You were so brave, so brilliant, but you died. You never gave in to him. Your courage gave me so much strength. Thank you."

Donna swallowed the tears that his words provoked, "I didn't do anything, Jack. The year never happened, remember?" But she rubbed his back and held him as he cried.

Donna was working alone in the Hub, late one night when everyone else was out saving the Earth as usual. She still wasn't sleeping properly, so relished the chance to do something constructive with her insomnia. Suddenly, she heard the familiar wheezing of the TARDIS and ran to the door of Jack's office. Looking down, she saw the familiar blue, policebox sitting in lonely splendour. Sprinting down the stairs towards it, she saw that the door was ajar and the light on top was flashing.

Tentatively, she pushed on the door and let herself in, looking around eagerly for the Doctor. She didn't see him in the console room, so headed for the hallway, guided by the TARDIS lighting her way. Opening the highlighted door, she saw a garden, a beautifully manicured garden with mostly Earth plants. She walked in, slowly examining the plant life and decided that the weird little puce coloured plant, with lime flowers that snapped at her ankles as she passed it, was probably alien. Just as she was straightening from looking at something that looked like a melted weasel, she was knocked to the ground by a skinny, brown clad streak of alien. Laughing, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. "Doctor! Steady on there, Time Boy!"

The Doctor didn't say anything, just clung to Donna as though she was the only thing keeping him anchored to the Earth, pressing his face into her shoulder. Lying on the soft grass wasn't such a hardship and Donna was happy to lie there with the Doctor in her arms. She stroked his hair, feeling his silent tears soaking through her jacket and dampening her shirt. Turning her head, she kissed him lightly before settling back, humming quietly and watching the simulated clouds floating across the simulated sky. It was remarkably peaceful here, although she was keeping a bit of an eye on the melted weasel, which was slowly oozing it's way over to them. Not knowing what it was, she found it a bit disconcerting that it was targeting them.

"You're really here. You're alive and you're really here. I'm not dreaming, am I?" He finally spoke to her, his voice quavering and muffled.

"Yup. Really here. Not dead, still rude and ginger." She agreed amiably, rubbing a figure eight on his back.

He leaned up on his elbow and gazed down at her. He reached out and stroked her hair reverently and she chuckled.

"Jack did that too."

The Doctor took his hand back, looking embarrassed. "Did he? Hm, well." Suddenly realising something, he sat up, "Donna, not that I'm not happy to see you, but how did you get here?"

"I walked in the front door, Spaceman. Isn't that how most people get in?" She reclined on her elbows as she looked up at him quizzically. Noting how his thigh was still touching hers, as though he was loathe to lose contact completely.

"But I was in the vortex.." He cocked his head and she watched, as he conversed with his ship. "What? I was alright! Humph, fine…"

Interrupting him, Donna asked, "Doctor, not to be a nuisance or anything, but what the hell is the blob that's making it's way up my leg?"

The Doctor looked over his shoulder at the object distractedly, "What? Oh, that's Neville. He seems to have taken a liking to you. It's alright, he's a Frmbzl. They're harmless, but I wouldn't let him lick you. Some humans are allergic to the slime."

"Urgh, that's gross. Get Neville off me, or I'll kick him off and god knows where he'll land."

Obligingly, he plucked the Frmbzl off her and placed it gently on the grass, noticing how Donna was looking in disgust at the slime on her trouser leg. He felt pure joy suffuse his soul at seeing her looking so healthy and happy, shining in the artificial sunlight, and grinned accordingly. Standing up quickly, he then offered his hand to help her off the grass. "The TARDIS thought I was unhappy and needed to see you, so she took it upon herself to bring me to where you were. Silly old girl. I was perfectly alright."

Glancing pointedly at the damp spot on her shoulder that his tears had left, she said sarkily, "Yeah, I can see just how 'perfectly alright' you are, Martian." Looking at him and seeing the weariness he was trying to hide behind his grin, she took a deep breath and asked him, "How long has it been for you since the Valiant?"

He got the same panicked look on his face that Jack had gotten, just before he bolted through the gardens and out the door. She sighed, "Here we go again," before running after him.

She caught up with him in the console room, where he was frantically punching buttons and peering into the monitor, muttering, "It's not possible, we reversed the whole thing, she shouldn't remember, maybe Jack told her, but then I told him not to tell anyone, but how else would she know." He spun around, fixing her with a haunted look, his eyes looking positively ancient, "How do you know about the Valiant?"

Shrugging, she told him the same thing she'd told Jack, "I dunno. I just do. I've been dreaming about it for the past couple of nights, which freaks me out no end, and then Jack turned up and I mentioned it to him, which made him react in much the same way you just did. He panicked too, if it makes you feel any better. Accused me of being … well, being something not human."

"Trust me, Donna. You're very human." He smiled at her fondly. "I don't know why you remember what happened, when no other person on Earth does – apart from the unlucky few who were still on the Valiant when time reversed – but you're 100% human. You do have some very unique telepathic abilities, maybe it has something to do with that…" He trailed off, his face getting the far off look he got when he was trying to figure out one of life's mysteries.

Sighing in relief, she looked at him shrewdly, "You never answered my question, Time Boy. How long since the Valiant?"

He turned away from her, shaking his head, "I don't know. A couple of weeks maybe. I spent Christmas on the Titanic. Met some nice people…" He stopped with a gulp, that could have been a sob.

"Doctor?"

His shoulders were hunched up, as he leaned heavily against the console, determinedly facing away from her, radiating tension. She moved to stand beside him, putting a hand on his back, and rubbing what she hoped were soothing circles across the smooth fabric of his coat.

The TARDIS had brought him to her because he obviously needed someone to look after him for a change. She leaned forward and put her cheek on his shoulder, her arm sliding around his waist.

His next breath sounded suspiciously like a sob, and his knees buckled. She was surprised when he actually let himself crumple to the floor, as if he didn't have the energy to hold himself up any longer. She reacted instinctively, grabbing him around the waist and lowering them both to the floor. She sat with him almost in her lap, after he'd twisted in her arms to hold her, letting him burrow into her. Hiding his face in her hair, breathing in her scent, he took his time before he spoke again, his voice muffled by the fabric of her jacket.

"I'm sorry."

"What for, Spaceman?"

"For not saving you."

"Well, then I'm sorry for not saving you too." She smiled into his hair, rubbing his back firmly, feeling his ribs and thinking she'd have to start feeding him up.

He huffed a bit of a laugh at that.

"Why are you alone? I gather Jack wanted to get back to Ianto and Torchwood, but where's Martha?" Stroking the hair on the nape of his neck, she kneaded the tense muscles of his back with her other hand.

"She's back with her family now," the Doctor replied, relaxing against her, letting Donna support his weight. "They need her 'cos they were still on the Valiant when time reversed, so they remember… She left me for them and I'm alone again." His voice was heavy with loneliness and despair, his fingers clutching the back of her jacket.

They sat in silence for a while, listening to the hum of the TARDIS.

"What happened to your people, Doctor?" It was something that had puzzled her since meeting him, how a race of people as intelligent and wise as the Doctor seemed to be could die out.

The Doctor spoke without looking up from her shoulder. He was trembling again, ever so slightly. 

"There was a war," he replied, barely whispering and she had to strain to hear him. He adopted a flat monotone, as if he were reciting these words for the hundredth time and they no longer held any meaning for him. "A Time War. The last great Time War. My people fought the Daleks, with the entire universe at stake. And we lost. Everybody lost. Gallifrey burned, and most of the Daleks with it. And I survived. But everyone else died."

Donna could almost see the flames of Gallifrey burning, The Doctor left alone and devastated in the aftermath. She found herself rocking him gently as he spoke, desperate to give him some small comfort.

He shuddered. "Well, everyone except the Master. Oh Donna. He…he m-made me do.. things. He threatened to do them to Martha's sister or Jack or you, unless I agreed to do them. I tried to fight him, Donna, I did!" His voice took on a pleading note before fading back to the flat hopeless tone, "But I wasn't strong enough..."

The Doctor tensed in her arms, needing to confess but fearing rejection. "I…I sort of liked some of it too. The times he'd talk to me about Gallifrey, about the academy, when he'd fall asleep by me. It reminded me of when we were young, together and full of high spirits. He was my best friend back then. Feeling close to someone like me again was so, so comforting. Even if he was mad, I could have helped him, if he'd let me. But he chose to die, rather than regenerate, just to spite me! I… it broke my hearts because I knew I was the last of my kind again. For a little while I wasn't alone and now… now I'm so alone." He paused, swallowing nervously, "I'm sick to feel such pain over the death of a sadistic meglomaniac, aren't I?"

Donna's heart ached for the man in her arms, mourning the loss of his best friend/enemy. She couldn't imagine how lonely it would be if she were the only human left in the universe. She kissed the top of his head tenderly, telling him firmly, "No Doctor, you're not sick. It's natural to want to be with your own kind, and your choice there is severely limited. I know you tried to fight him, we all did, but he had a lot more strings to his bow than we did."

"My hearts broke when you died, Donna," he said as he tightened his hold on her, remembering her broken body lying at the Master's feet, his eyes dull. "None of you survived."

"None of who, Doctor?" Encouraging him to open up about his experiences, she pulled his legs up over hers, as she rearranged herself so she could lean against the console. He let her move his body where she wanted without complaint, leaning against her placidly.

"My companions and others I'd helped or known," the Doctor answered, meeting her gaze for a moment before sliding away again. "It wasn't just you and Ianto. He found all of the people I cared about, who are living on Earth now, and brought them all to the Valiant. To me. No-one escaped. You lasted the longest, you seemed to intrigue the Master. So full of fire and passion, so brave and brilliant. You were the only one who fought for me and Jack. I loved you for that. The others all kept looking to me to save them. Screaming my name. Screaming for help. And I couldn't help them, couldn't help myself. But you tried to save me, save all of us. You never gave in to the Master. You were so strong. So brave. You got free once with Jack and Ianto, with a sonic pen, almost made it to me. Another time you slapped the Master out the way and got as far as my cage… but he punished you severely after every attempt. He made you suffer and then you died too. He killed you. Killed you all…" His breathing had become rapid and shallow, his voice becoming higher and more frantic, his hands clutching the front of her jacket so hard his knuckles had whitened.

"I know, Doctor," she crooned, reaching up to cup his cheek tenderly. "I remember, sweetheart, you don't have to go through it again. It's all over now. We're all safe."

But he was lost in the memory, and didn't respond to her touch, instead repeating his horrible mantra, "He killed you all. You died, Donna. I saw you die. You died horribly. He killed you all. You died, Donna. I saw you die."

She shook her head, pinching his cheek gently, trying to reach him. "But you undid that year. It never happened. I'm alive, Doctor, we're all alive. Please, look at me. I'm alive!" She leaned down and pressed her lips to his in a gentle kiss, hoping it would bring him back to the present.

The Doctor's eyes finally focused on her again, and he reached out to touch her face hesitantly. "You're alive," he breathed, not quite believing it.

"I am. I'm alive. Not dead, still rude and ginger," she agreed, kissing him on the forehead to confirm it.

"You're alive," he repeated, collapsing against her again, his arms wrapped around her waist as hers cradled him, his head once again coming to rest on her shoulder. "You're alive. My brilliant Donna Noble. Alive."

Sitting there, she was surprised when his stomach growled. "How long has it been since you ate, Spaceman?"

He shook his head, knowing he was in for a telling off, he offered in a tiny voice, "I can't remember?"

"Well, that's no bloody good. Come on, get your skinny, alien arse into the kitchen and we'll see what I can rustle up."

He let her go relunctantly and they stood up. Taking his hand, she led the way to the galley, asking the TARDIS to light the way. She released his hand and started rummaging in the fridge.

"Not much here, Spaceman, when was the last time you shopped?" Realising what she'd just said, she straightened and turned to him, saying brightly, "Never mind, love. What say we venture out into the wilds of Cardiff and get some chips?"

Then he'd smiled at her, that beautiful, brilliant smile that she'd been dreaming of seeing again.


	11. Friends Reunited For Now

**Chapter 11 ****Friends Reunited. For Now.**

As they exited the TARDIS, they were confronted with the entire Torchwood team. Ianto had his hand poised to knock on the door and leapt back when it opened, treading on Jack who yelped.

"We're going for chips, who wants to come along?" Donna chirped, holding the Doctor's hand tightly and shielding him slightly from the prying eyes of the others.

Ianto replied, "We were just coming to see if you wanted to come out and share the pizzas we ordered."

"Ooo, I like pizza," declared the Doctor from behind Donna, still slightly subdued from his emotional outburst.

She grinned at him, "Then pizza it is, Time Boy."

Once they'd consumed all the food, they talked and laughed for a while, before Gwen left to go home to Rhys. Owen offered to take Tosh home and they left not long after. The Doctor had fallen asleep against Donna's shoulder, whilst Jack was asleep with his head on Ianto's thigh. The two friends grinned at each other, delighted to have the Doctor and Jack back. Then Ianto's expression changed to melancholy.

"You're going to leave with him, aren't you?" He asked dolefully, stroking Jack's hair lightly.

Donna leaned her cheek on the Doctor's head, inhaling his unique scent – a tangy, zingy smell like the air in a citrus orchard before a thunderstorm. "If he asks me, then yes, I'm going with him. I love you, Ianto, but you don't need me anymore and the Doctor does. Just as Jack will need you to be strong for him now, the Doctor will need me. Besides, I feel the need for adventure and travelling with the Doctor will provide plenty of it."

Ianto looked at her curiously, asking, "What happened to them, Donna, and why do you know about it?"

"Do you remember the nightmare I told you about?" Her heart started beating faster, just at the thought of it.

"Hard not to," he replied wryly. He also remembered her reaction to the nightmare, could still feel her shuddering, terrified body clinging to him in despair after it. The way she'd pressed her head to his chest, listening for his heartbeat, as she'd murmured over and over that he was alive and that he wasn't allowed to die ever again. He'd found it vaguely unsettling but wasn't going to let her down when she needed him. Not after all she'd done for him.

The Doctor frowned and whimpered in his sleep, as if he sensed Donna's unease. She tightened her hold on the sleeping Time Lord, whether to reassure him or herself, she didn't know.

Sucking in a deep, calming breath, she continued, "Well, it wasn't a nightmare. It was real. I… I don't know why I remember what happened to me and you don't, but I'm so, so happy that you don't. The Doctor and Jack reversed everything so that only the people on the Valiant and me remember. It's as though the year never happened."

Ianto looked horrified, rubbing his hand over Jack's broad shoulders, as though he could take the pain away. "You were all tortured for a year!"

"Jack and the Doctor were there for a year, I only lasted 5 months before… before I died."

"How.." he gulped, "how long did I last?"

Reaching over to put her hand on his shoulder, she said, "Don't think about it, cariad. You're safe and healthy now, which is all that matters. Don't borrow trouble."

The Doctor stirred restlessly, muttering her name. She yawned and told Ianto, "I'm going to try and get this one to bed, before finding one of my own. Do you want to sleep on the TARDIS tonight? I'm sure there'll be plenty of spare rooms, it's vast in there."

Eyeing the blue box sceptically, as it hummed innocently in the centre of the Hub, Ianto shook his head. "No, we'll sleep down in Jack's room."

Donna nodded before giving the Doctor a light shake. He grumbled and snuggled closer to her, but she laughed and shook him again. "Come on, Sunshine, let's get you into your nice, warm bed."

Opening one eye, the Doctor looked up at her and grumpily muttered, "I'm nice and warm right here."

"Too bad, Time Boy, I'm not. I want to lie in a bed in my pajamas under a duvet, so come on, up you get." Pulling him to his feet, she half carried him to the TARDIS, after she'd kissed Ianto and a sleepy Jack goodnight.

Once in the TARDIS, it wasn't long 'til Donna found what she assumed was the Doctor's bedroom. She was surprised to see it so comfortably furnished, with lovely wood furniture, soft furnishings in forest green, ocean blue and earthy brown silks and cottons. There was a clean, fresh smell in the room, that reminded her of something she couldn't pin down. The overall effect was soothing and she felt herself relax as soon as she entered. She'd thought that his bedroom would be purely functional, somewhere to sleep with no regard for aesthetics. She was even more surprised to see two sets of pajamas laid out on the bed, a blue pin-striped set obviously meant for the Doctor and a green silk set which looked like they'd fit her.

"What are you up to then, spaceship?" She grinned and hauled the Doctor further onto her shoulder, before she dragged him over to the bed where she helped him strip to his underwear and climb into his pajamas. Lying him down in the bed, he immediately snuggled into the pillows, smiling happily. She stood looking at him fondly for a moment, before taking her pajamas to the bathroom to change and brush her teeth with the toothbrush she found waiting for her, still in it's packet. In fact, all the toiletries she'd needed were already there.

On the way back to the bed, she stroked her hand over the wall of the ship as thanks. She was delighted when she heard the pitch of the humming change, as though the TARDIS was acknowledging her gesture.

"The old girl's always liked you. I think she's only ever liked one of my companions more than you and that was Jack, but then he flirted shamelessly with her." The Doctor was watching her though half open eyes as she returned. "Nice room, by the way. Very comfortable bed, but it's a bit too warm."

She stopped short. "What do you mean? I thought this was your room."

"Nope. Mine is pretty bare, just a bed, a wardrobe, a chair and a desk. And the floor is covered with stuff. This is the room the TARDIS created for you, based on your taste and personality. She does it for all my companions. You should see Jack's room, lots of leather and ... anyway"

He watched approvingly as she took one of the comforters off the bed, folding it over a nearby armchair. "I like yours though, it's cosy. Not as girly as Rose's was and not as modern as Martha's. It's comfortable. Like you."

The last was mumbled as he cuddled into her after she'd gotten into bed. She raised her eyebrow at him, saying sharply, "I'm comfortable, am I, Spaceman?"

He smiled peacefully, almost back to sleep, "Yup. Soft, cuddly, warm…comfy."

Donna snorted with self deprecating mirth, as she warned, "Keep that up and I'll kick your skinny butt out, back to your own room."

The Doctor tried to chuckle, but only managed a contented hum. "No, you won't. I'm too cute to get mad at..."

Donna's laughter rang around the room, and the Doctor chuckled in response to the joyous sound. Then they settled down to sleep, neither having nightmares as the TARDIS soothed their subconscious minds.

The next morning, the Doctor woke slowly. By his calculations, he'd been asleep for 8 hours, 36 minutes and 48 seconds. That was the longest he'd slept naturally in one stretch for as long as he could remember. He was still entwined in Donna's arms, her breath gently ruffling his hair. He wondered at how quickly he'd opened up to her, trusting her with his most painful memories. It must have been the year on the Valiant, how she'd show her loyalty and protectiveness to him. He wanted her to come with him, but he'd asked her once and she'd turned him down. She'd said she was frightened of him – a feeling that could only have been intensified by her months on the Valiant.

Stretching luxuriously, Donna yawned widely. "Good morning, Spaceman. I hope you slept as well as I did, 'cos that's the best night's sleep I've had in a week. This bed is brilliant."

He was working up the courage to ask her if she wanted to stay with him and come travelling the universe, when she leapt out of bed and padded to the bathroom.

Coming back into the room, dressed in the clothes she'd been wearing last night, she told him, "It's alright for you, Martian, but I've got to get to work. Come out, when you're dressed, for a cup of something hot." Then she was gone before he could say anything.

When he found the others, they were all sitting around the conference table drinking coffee or tea and eating danish. Ianto had done a bakery run, by the look of it. Donna was wearing a different outfit and had tied her wet hair back, so she must have had a stash of clothing somewhere in the Hub, along with showering facilities. The Doctor wondered why she hadn't used her bathroom on the TARDIS. He looked down at his mug of tea and felt miserable at the thought of leaving without her.

After breakfast, the others had said a hurried goodbye to the Doctor before leaving on another hunt. Donna and the Doctor had said goodbye almost cheerfully, each being careful not to burden the other with the guilt of leaving or being left behind. And then he'd left, the TARDIS dematerialising with a wheeze and a bang.


	12. Watch The Skies For Me

**Chapter 12 ****Watch The Skies For Me**

Feeling tears well in her eyes, Donna blinked them away resolutely. She had no right to expect the Doctor to ask her to travel with him again, after she'd so rudely turned him down last time he asked. She'd even hurried out of the TARDIS this morning in order to avoid any potentially awkward moments, where he felt he had to invite her even though he didn't want to do so.

As she was turning away to go to Jack's office, the TARDIS wheezed back into existence and she whirled to face it in surprise. The door opened and the Doctor stood there, his expression equal measures of panic and pleading. She held out her arms and he ran into them, burying his face in her neck whispering, "Please?"

Donna knew from that one word that he wanted her to come with him. Needed her to come with him. Holding the trembling Time Lord in her arms, she knew that she needed to be with him just as much. Stroking the back of his neck, she told him, "I need to pack and say goodbye to everyone. Then we can go, okay Spaceman?"

His only response was to tighten his hold, as though he'd never let her go.

They stood like that for at least 15 minutes, before Donna called a halt to it. The too rapid beat of his hearts against her chest had slowed enough now and he'd stopped shivering. "Come on, Time Boy, this isn't getting me packed. Can you squeeze the TARDIS into Ianto's flat? It will make it easier to pack things in. Then we'll come back here for lunch with the others and afterwards, I'm all yours. How does that sound?"

Grinning like a Cheshire cat, the Doctor offered her his arm, "Sounds like an excellent plan, shall we?"

Taking it, she grinned back and replied, "We shall!"

It didn't take long for Donna to pack up her belongings – mostly clothes – and tidy up the flat after herself. All the time she was gathering her stuff, the Doctor lounged on the sofa and chatted to her. She did some quick calculations in her head and then pulled out the corresponding amount from her wallet, leaving it on the kitchen cabinet for Ianto to use when the outstanding bills came in. She didn't take all her possessions, not wanting it to seem like she had never been there. Leaving a couple of her framed photos, one of her favourite cds and a fluffy novelty cushion that Ianto had loudly declared he hated, but secretly cuddled when watching dvds, made it seem like she'd be back someday and wasn't abandoning him forever. Donna fully intended to stay in touch with Ianto and Jack. To that end, she turned to the Doctor and interrupted his (no doubt) fascinating story about the time he'd gotten drunk with a couple of sentient mushrooms.

"Yeah, yeah, Doctor, I'm sure they were fun guys, but I've got a serious question. Can you do something with my phone, so I can call Ianto and my Gramps from anywhere you're taking me?"

"Yup. Give it here a minute." He pulled his sonic screwdriver from his jacket and bleeped her phone before handing it back with a flourish. "There you go, universal roaming."

"Wizard! Now, shall we go to Tesco and stock up the TARDIS, before we head back to the Hub?"

"Your chariot awaits, my lady" The Doctor leapt to the door of his ship, eager to be moving again.

Shopping with the Doctor proved to be an exercise in patience. He made loud comments about his fellow shoppers drawing many an angry look, packed the trolley with bananas, tea, jelly babies, biscuits, marmalade and hair gel, and whined when she stopped too long in front of anything he wasn't interested in. It was like shopping with an adult sized, hyperactive 5 year old with a precocious vocabulary. But they finally completed their transaction, paying for it with one of the Doctors unlimited credit cards, and wheeled the very full trolley towards the TARDIS. Taking the trolley and all inside, Donna unloaded everything in the kitchen, then returned the trolley to the car park.

Heading back inside the ship, she went to the kitchen and found the Doctor sticking his finger in a jar of marmalade and then unashamedly licking it clean before redipping it.

"Right, well, that's your jar of marmalade then. Now that you've been double dipping and filling it with Time Boy cooties and all," Donna shuddered theatrically, as he turned his gaze to her and luxuriously sucked on his finger.

The Doctor moved forward, dipping his finger in the jar again and then holding it out to her. "Come on, Donna, it's sooo good."

She shrieked as he grinned wickedly and swiped his sticky finger down her cheek. Wiping her face vigorously, she ordered, "Urk! Give. Me. That!" Slapping his arm, she then confiscated the jar and pointed at the door. "Go. Take us back the Hub, you grubby little alien."

Shaking her head, she packed the groceries away in cupboards and the fridge/freezer. At least now, she knew they'd have decent food to eat on their adventures. Feeling a jolt, staggering slightly and grabbing at the counter top, she assumed they'd landed so moved back to the console room.

The door was yanked open and Jack raced in, followed by an equally anxious Ianto. "You left without saying goodbye!" Jack accused angrily, frowning and advancing on the Doctor, "You said you wouldn't do that anymore."

Donna stepped in front of the Doctor, protectively. Slapping Jack's arm, she protested, "He didn't leave for good. He took me to my flat so I could pack, then we went to Tesco, then back here for a goodbye lunch. So leave him be!" She huffed, picking up the bags of groceries from near the front door and thrusting them into Ianto and Jack's hands. "Here. Make yourselves useful and take these to the Hub kitchen." Then she strode out the door.

The three men looked at each other, smirking in fond appreciation of their feisty, flame-haired friend, before hastily exiting the TARDIS as she bellowed, "WHEN YOU'RE READY THEN!"

Under Donna's directions, a feast was soon spread out on the boardroom table and everyone was having a great time. Laughter pealed out and teasing was rife, as everyone relaxed and enjoyed being all together. After lunch, Gwen and Tosh offered to clean up, pressganging Owen into service too. Donna hugged each of them, promising to come back to visit and making them all promise to take care of each other as well as Jack and Ianto. Then the Doctor, Jack, Ianto and Donna walked slowly down towards the TARDIS. Donna and Ianto holding hands tightly as they followed the other two.

"Well, Jack, I'm saying goodbye this time," the Doctor said with false chirpiness.

Jack engulfed him in a hug, too choked up to say anything. The Doctor spluttered a little bit, before smiling indulgently and returning the hug. When they broke apart, Jack leaned in and kissed the Doctor resoundedly before turning to Donna. His breath hitched as he opened his arms to her.

"Take care of him and take care of yourself." Jack muttered into her hair. "I love you, Donna Noble. Don't be a stranger."

Donna smiled as she rubbed his back, before squeezing him tightly. "Of course I'll take care of him. You just make sure you take care of my boy, there." Leaning in and whispering in his ear, "And let him take care of you, sweetheart, tell him about the Valiant. He's stronger than he looks."

Jack buried his face in her neck, a sob escaping him before he regained control. He straightened and let Donna wipe the tear from his cheek. Then he leaned in and kissed her gently, letting his hands wander down her back. She stepped back, smacking his face lightly, crying, "Oi, hands!", making him chuckle wickedly.

Then it was just Donna and Ianto, as Jack and the Doctor moved away discreetly. Walking towards Ianto, Donna took his hand and held the other to his cheek, caressing his cheekbone softly.

He spoke so softly, she almost missed it. "I don't want you to go."

"Cariad, look at me," Donna tilted his face so he was forced to look at her, "I love you and I will always love you no matter where I am in the universe. I have to go, everything changes, nothing stays the same. You and Jack have to take care of each other now."

Tears slid silently down Ianto's face, as he forced himself to overcome his naturally shy nature, knowing he had to say this in case he never got another chance, "I love you too, Donna. Thank you for noticing me, when no-one else did. Thank you for being my friend when no-one else would."

"Oh Yan," her voice cracked and they grabbed each other in a deperate hug, clinging tightly to each other and sobbing. When they calmed down, Donna huffed a laugh. "Look at us, anyone would think one of us was dying. You can ring me anytime you want, since the Doctor bleeped my phone and gave me universal roaming. I'll be sure to come back to visit too."

She gave him a final squeeze, kissed him on the forehead, then ran to the TARDIS where the Doctor was waiting. Looking back from the doorway, she saw Jack was standing beside Ianto and their arms were around each other. Smiling brightly at them, she waved and shouted, "Bye, Jack. Bye, Ianto. Love you both. Watch for me in the skies!"


End file.
